Abram Wilson

London based trumpeter and composer, Abram Wilson returns with a new album and tour, Life Paintings. With two critically acclaimed albums already as leader of comparatively large ensembles, his new quartet depicts Wilson as a refined and focused jazz musician.

This award-winning artist’s talent and infectious warmth spring directly from his roots in the birthplace of jazz: New Orleans and, on this outing, Wilson’s trumpet takes centre stage, giving listeners an opportunity to hear why this extraordinary artist is regarded as ‘one of the finest contemporary New Orleans trumpeters’ (BBC Radio 3) of our time.

Life Paintings sees him working with a broad and vibrant palette of colours and textures, painting pictures with music that portray the human experience. While these ‘pictures’ amount to a deeply personal document for Wilson, drawing on and inspired by his own experiences, the subject matter itself is of universal appeal and familiarity. The bouncing curiosity of both Rainbows And Fantasies and Chasing Mosquito Hawks captures the inquisitiveness and exuberance of youth; the title of Even Though You’re Bad For Me should need little explanation, telling a tale that many of us will understand; Kiss And Make Up describes the comfort of a resolution that can only be attained by first going through conflict.

Aside from the affecting clarity of Abram’s latest album, Life Paintings showcases him as one of the most gifted composers and instrumentalists the country has to offer. His two previous albums on the Dune label, Jazz Warrior (2004) and Ride! Ferris Wheel To The Modern Day Delta (2007) both demonstrated his virtuosity and versatility as a player and leader, and he has asserted himself elsewhere through noted performances alongside the likes of Roy Hargrove and the late, great blues legend Ruth Brown, as well as fellow Dune staples Denys Baptiste, Gary Crosby and the famous Jazz Jamaica ensemble. Now in 2009, Life Paintings presents Wilson as a mature, measured artist whose tone, phrasing and sheer inventiveness have come together in natural harmony over the course of his career.

At their core, these pieces represent the culmination of years of training and hard-work, both musically and in a wider, more experiential sense; compelling, absorbing and wonderfully melodic compositions that draw upon his African-American jazz roots and the eclectic musical influences soaked up since crossing the Atlantic to Europe back in 2002. A set of solely instrumental compositions steeped in the jazz tradition, Life Paintings asks more of the listener than previous recordings and in return offers an abundance of colours, thoughts, and images that can only be conjured up by articulate improvisational freedom and song.

The team at Dune say: Abram’s Life Paintings show will appeal to audiences who enjoy Wynton Marsalis, Miles Davis and Freddie Hubbard. Unmissable!

A definite hot ticket. Guardian

As evolutionary as it is revolutionary. Echoes