Martin Lawrence Trio

Ambrose Akinmusire possesses one of the most original trumpet voices of recent decades. He has a breathtaking, ruby-red tone and a penchant for coaxing extraordinary — and unexpected — sounds and effects from his horn. If you watch him perform (or listen to his five albums on the Blue Note label) you will hear him swing freely between jazz, R&B, chamber music and sounds you cannot put in a box. It’s a unified creative flow. It comes from inside him. It honors the jazz tradition while pointing toward destinations unknown. An Oakland native with an international career, Akinmusire is a master improviser and bandleader. On stage, he has a way of instantly processing musical information, always nurturing, expanding, and elevating the performance. The second program of his four-night 2023 residency will feature one of his earliest projects, the Martin Lawrence Trio, which includes pianist/keyboardist Mike Aaberg, and drummer Thomas Pridgen (formerly of Mars Volta).