Ambrose Akinmusire: Starshine & Clay | XXXV Ars Cameralis

Akinmusire grew up in Oakland, California, and already in high school caught the attention of saxophonist Steve Coleman. At the age of nineteen, he joined Steve Coleman & Five Elements, touring Europe and studying at the Manhattan School of Music in New York. He continued his studies at the University of Southern California, where he received his master's degree, and then attended the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz in Los Angeles, where his mentors were: Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Terence Blanchard. His career was in 2007, when Akinmusire won the Monk International Jazz Competition (the jury included Blanchard, Quincy Jones, Herb Alpert, Hugh Masekela, Clark Terry and Roy Hargrove) and signed with the legendary Blue Note Records label. His first album, “When the Heart Emerges Glistening” (2011), received worldwide acclaim, with the Los Angeles Times reporting: “Akinmusire doesn't sound like a rising star. It is more like someone who has already reached the top and was just waiting to be discovered.” Akinmusire has also composed music for string instruments and voice (“The Imagined Savior Is Far Easier to Paint” album, 2014), made guest appearances on Kendrick Lamar's now-legendary album “To Pimp a Butterfly” (2015), and conjured up the mosaic “Origami Harvest” (2018), which explores the complexities of African American lives using long jam forms session, spoken word poetry, hip-hop and string instruments. Another project, “On the Tender Spot of Every Calloused Moment” (2020) developed and expanded this way of narrative—featuring poignant laments about inequality and the effects of violent gentrification on local communities, like those familiar from the artist's childhood in the Bay Area. Owl Song (2023), recorded with guitarist Bill Frisell and drummer Herlin Riley, was described by Pitchfork magazine as “music seeking peace and quiet in a world full of turmoil and turmoil.” Ambrose Akinmusire's work requires listeners to be attentive and committed, to be open to the infinite, to be sensitive to the silence between the notes and questions left unanswered. Thanks to his work and collaboration with outstanding musicians, the artist rejected conventions and revolutionized the way we think about jazz improvisation.

Co-financed from the funds of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage from the Fund for the Promotion of Culture within the framework of the “Music for the task” Festival Ars Cameralis 2026: music program”. Amount of co-financing: PLN 80,280. Total value of the task: 458,384 PLN. The agreement was concluded in September 2026.

Tuesday 10.11.2026 Jazz Club Hipnoza, Katowice Start 20:30 Tickets: Ticketmaster: https://tiny.pl/gywqsws51