Ambrose Akinmusire Owl Song featuring Bill Frisell and Herlin Riley

“[Ambrose is] one of the most interesting artists of our time.” —DownBeat 

“The eminent guitarist Bill Frisell improvises in smoky ringlets of melody, drawing the influence of classic jazz guitar into a palette based on early American folk music.”—The New York Times 

“A quiet rush of gorgeous sound where space, tone and beauty come together. . . . ” —DownBeat

Ambrose Akinmusire is obsessed with beauty. The trumpeter, composer and ever-evolving sonic explorer is known seeking out new musical frontiers, and his Owl Song trio has become one of his primary vehicles for investigation. Featuring guitar legend Bill Frisell and New Orleans drum poet Herlin Riley, the stripped-down ensemble ranges across a broad expanse of American music guided by an unhurried conversational ethic. A standout player since his years at Berkeley High, Akinmusire has distinguished himself at every step, from winning the Thelonious Monk International Trumpet Competition in 2007 to delivering critically hailed commissioned works for the world’s most august stages, including the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Berlin Jazz Festival, and the Kennedy Center. Long enthralled with Frisell’s music, he’s sought out several opportunities to collaborate as a duo, starting in 2014 when Akinmusire was artist-in-residence at the Montreal International Jazz Festival. “What I love about Bill is his curiosity,” Akinmusire says. “He’s still questioning and pushing.” A few weeks before the pandemic shuttered New York City he and Frisell did a four-night duo run at the Blue Note playing each other’s tunes. They added Riley into the mix in 2022, debuting Owl Song at the SFJAZZ Center. One of two albums he released last year on Nonesuch (along with Beauty Is Enough, a striking solo trumpet session), Owl Song earned glowing reviews, and the music has taken startling new shapes since the recording. Don’t miss this singular ensemble, a group that knows how to make silence sing.