Jazz Signatures: Ambrose Akinmusire Quartet

EVENT DESCRIPTION

The West Kowloon Cultural District is thrilled to launch the “Jazz Signatures” concert series, a brand-new programme featuring leading international jazz stars and noteworthy emerging acts in performance at the Grand Theatre of the Xiqu Centre, the flagship performing arts venue of the West Kowloon Cultural District. Getting the series off the ground is Ambrose Akinmusire, the world-renowned American trumpeter, and his quartet who will make their Hong Kong debut on 26 July 2024 (Friday). 

Building on the success of the acclaimed performance by award-winning jazz diva Stacey Kent and her trio during the Freespace Jazz Fest at the Xiqu Centre last year, West Kowloon Cultural District is once again bringing audiences a world-class jazz experience through the “Jazz Signatures” concert series, which is set to present superb jazz musicians from around the world at the spectacular Grand Theatre, where the audience can enjoy top-notch acoustics and state-of-the-art lighting and audio production. 

Ambrose Akinmusire is widely recognised as one of the most important and innovative young trumpeters on the international jazz scene. Named DownBeat magazine’s “Trumpeter of the Year” in 2020, Akinmusire is known for his pure and nuanced playing, with a distinctive trumpet tone resembling the human voice. Having studied under the likes of jazz legends such as Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Terence Blanchard, Akinmusire’s works incorporate a diversity of influences, including classical music, blues and hip-hop, to create a uniquely innovative and personal jazz sound. He has performed at various major jazz festivals around the world, including Berlin, Paris and Venice.

Akinmusire will appear on stage with his longstanding quartet featuring Sam Harris on piano, Harish Raghavan on bass and Justin Brown on drums with a fine selection of his work from his quartet albums “A Rift in Decorum:  Live at the Village Vanguard” and “On the Tender Spot of Every Calloused Moment”, and his unreleased compositions. To introduce more of Ambrose, his album “Owl Song” released last year, had landed on the New York Times’ list of “Best Jazz Albums of 2023” and the “Albums of the Year” list in Jazzwise, one of the best-selling jazz magazines in the UK, which described it as “starkly beautiful music”.

ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER

Staged in the Xiqu Centre’s state-of-the-art Grand Theatre, Jazz Signatures is WestK’s new showcase of top performances by distinctive leading and up-and-coming names in the international jazz world. The series promises jazz aficionados an elegant experience with high-quality sounds and a world-class sound system.