American jazz trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire won this year’s Paul Acket Award which is annually being awarded by the North Sea Jazz Festival.
The award is being given since 1985 to musicians whose opus deserves recognition by audiences outside jazz. Among former winners were artists we had the chance to listen to on Jazz Fest: Han Bennink, Joe Zawinul, Eric Vloeimans, Arve Henriksen and Craig Taborn.
The award and a 5.000 USD check will be given to Akinmusire in July at his concert at this year’s North Sea Jazz Festival.
The Paul Acket Award is the third important award for the young trumpeter after he won the Thelonious Monk and Carmine Caruso competitions.
Akinmusire was born in 1982 in California. His career started during high school when he became a member of Steve Coleman’s Five Elements. He performed with artists like Vijay Iyer, Esperanza Spalding, Jason Moran, Vince Mendoza, Jack DeJohnette, Gerald Clayton and many more. He has released three albums.
Listen to the composition With Love from Akinmusire’s second album When the Heart Emerges Glistening, released three years ago for Blue Note.