Ambrose Akinmusire: Emerging Heart

R.J. DeLuke

Interviewer since 1999

R.J. DeLuke is an indefatigable jazz fan and arbiter elegantiarum who aspires to ultimate hipness; also an upstate NY freelance writer for various media.

Recent articles (265 total)

Published: April 4, 2011

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"I like the potential jazz has to bring people together," says Akinmusire. "I feel like maybe it's been lost. But I like the potential of it being found again. I like being able to go to France and play music with the French people and not be able to speak a word with them. That's a beautiful thing to me. I like having to fix it. In order to make music work, sometimes you have to pick someone's brain. In picking someone's brain, you get to learn a lot about how they think about themselves and how they think about the world. And that brings you closer to them. I think maybe that's the thing I love most about jazz: its potential to bring people together.

"I'm extremely optimistic about the future, of music and specifically jazz. This whole 'Jazz is dead' is going to be eliminated. People won't be saying it. They shouldn't be saying it now, but they definitely won't be saying it soon."

Selected Discography

Ambrose Akinmusire, When the Heart Emerges Glistening (Blue Note, 2011)
Walter Smith III, III (Criss Cross, 2011)
Ambrose Akinmusire, Prelude: To Cora (Fresh Sound New Talent, 2008)
LeBoeuf Brothers, House Without a Door (LeBoeuf Brothers Music, 2009)
John Escreet, Consequences (Posi-Tone, 2008)
Josh Roseman, New Constellations: Live in Vienna (Accurate Records, 2008)
Alan Pasqua, The Antisocial Club (Crytogramophone, 2007)
Vijay Iyer/Mike Ladd, In What Language (Pi, 2003)
Aaron Parks, Shadows (Keynote, 2003)
Steve Coleman, Resistance Is Futile (Label Bleu, 2002)

Photo Credits
Page 1: Mark Ladenson
Page 3: Yann Renoult
Page 4: Emra Islek
Page 6: Dave Kaufman
All Other Photos: Courtesy of Ambrose Akinmusire

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