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Music at Southampton has appointed two leading international artists as the inaugural Turner Sims Professors of Music 

I'm really excited to be able to announce that I have been appointed Turner Sims Professor by Southampton University along with baroque violinist Adrian Chandler. 

It's a real honor to be part of such a great university and fantastic venue where I have had the pleasure of playing and delivering educational workshops for a number of years.  I'm looking forward to working with Head of Music, Andrew Pinnock at the University's music department and Kevin Appleby, Concert Hall Manager at Turner Sims on a range of jazz programmes and events over the next two years. 

For the full press release click HERE. 

 

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PRESS RELEASE FROM BIRMINGHAM TOWN HALL & SYMPHONY HALL

The New Orleans-born trumpeter, educator and composer, Abram Wilson has been announced as an Associate Artist of Jazzlines, Town Hall and Symphony Hall’s dynamic new strand of jazz concert programming and inspirational education work. Abram Wilson is one of today’s leading musicians on the UK and European jazz scenes receiving widespread critical acclaim as a solo artist, band leader and composer. In his first major project as Jazzlines Associate Artist, Abram Wilson has led over 200 local school children in a series of rehearsals where they have learnt a specially commissioned piece composed by him. This exciting project will culminate in a public performance at Symphony Hall on 28 May 2012 as part of the annual Ladywood Showcase.

The Jazzlines programme, which was launched in April, is produced by Tony Dudley-Evans and Mary Wakelam, building on their hugely successful work as the creative forces behind Birmingham Jazz. It is supported by a three-year funding grant from Arts Council England under the National Portfolio Organisation scheme. Tony Dudley-Evans, Jazzlines Artistic Adviser said, “Birmingham’s jazz scene has a worldwide reputation, both for the variety of programmes and the quality of presentation and Jazzlines will continue this by nurturing young players, commissioning new work and running national tours. Our intention is also to present some more high profile jazz groups within both Town Hall and Symphony Hall.”

Abram Wilson said, “I am thrilled at the opportunity of becoming an Associate Artist of Town Hall and Symphony Hall, working in association with Jazzlines. It’s a relationship I believe has been nurtured over the years and our vision has always remained the same: to bring jazz music to as many young people as possible and to uplift the community through jazz music.”

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After another sell out gig and a standing ovation at Bedales near Petersfield we are on our way to Cheltenham Jazz Festival for our third gig of the Abram Wilson Olympic Septet tour. We're peforming at 12:30PM TOMORROW (Monday 7th) at the Jazz Arena.  Before that my quartet is doing a family show at 10:30AM.

Here's a sneak preview of a couple of tunes, Pokarekare Ana and A Caminha.

Enjoy!

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"The New Orleanian trumpeter lets his charisma shine through between a raft of memorable solos"...THE EVENING STANDARD

The premiere of my new Olympic septet project, Running With The Flame, performed to a sell out show at London's most presitgious jazz venue, Ronnie Scott's on Wednesday night.

For two hours we transported our London audience to the warm weather of Australia, India, Sudan, China, New Orleans, New Zealand, Brazil and South Africa as well as the colder temperatures of Russia with a collection of international folk songs arranged in a unique style rooted directly in the jazz tradition.

My highly acclaimed regular quartet grew to seven with the strong presence of the legendary Peter King on alto sax, Jean Toussaint on tenor sax and Trevor Mires on trombone.  I had a great time playing with such awesome musicians and we worked hard to give people a global perspective of jazz music whilst swinging hard, playin' the blues and improvising at the highest level!

Next stop Bedales Arts in Petersfield TONIGHT followed by Cheltenham Jazz Festival on MONDAY 7th.

TOUR DATES

4th May - Bedales Arts, Petersfield

7th May - Cheltenham Jazz Festival

8th June - Taliesin Arts, Swansea

14th July - Swanage Jazz Club 

26th July - The Watermill Jazz Club, Dorking

29th July - Hull Jazz Festival 

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Abram Wilson Quartet photo credit: Benjamin Amure 

Peter King (alto sax)

Jean Toussaint (tenor sax)

I'll be leading my newly formed septet, which features the legendary Peter King, Jean Toussaint (Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers) and my man Trevor Mires.  And of course the band wouldn't be complete without regular band members Alex Davis (double bass), Dave Hamblett (drums) and Reuben James (piano). 

We'll be kicking off the start of seven dates where we'll be performing 'Running With The Flame', original jazz arrangements inspired by the London 2012 Olympics and traditional folk songs from around the world including Scarborough Fair, made famous by Simon & Garfunkel.  I have to say...I'm EXCITED. 

BOOK TICKETS HERE:

2nd May - Ronnie Scott's, London

4th May - Bedales Arts, Petersfield

7th May - Cheltenham Jazz Festival

8th June - Taliesin Arts, Swansea

14th July - Swanage Jazz Club 

26th July - The Watermill Jazz Club, Dorking

29th July - Hull Jazz Festival 

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Trumpeter Abram Wilson brought a little bit of New Orleans to Oxfords's very English Randolph Hotel. By the end of the show, the audience were on their feet cheering as Abram walked out still soloing and the band carried on playing the blues. In the foyer you could tell who'd been to the gig by the smiles on their faces.

Abram had taken us through the life of mixed-race New Orleans piano prodigy and political journalist Philippa Duke Schuyler- his original tunes were linked together by the narrative. Different scenes from Philippa's life inspired various moods, and the audience was drawn in to the story from the start.

Some tunes expressed her childhood innocence and passion for life. Adventures in Black and White opened the set, with its modal chord sequence, propulsive bass and sensitive drum fills. Abram communicated warmly and passionately in both his narration and playing. The lyrical playing of fellow New Orleans trumpeter Terence Blanchard sprang to mind, and the bluesy keening and musical humour of Jack Walrath. Abrams plays like a singer, with beautiful phrasing that never loses the listener's attention. He plays as if he means every note.

In Goldfish and the Wolf, with its sense of childhood wonder, we heard Abram singing in his soft tone with a Stevie Wonder-like sweet vibrato. The Harlemites celebrated Harlem's cultural richness. Abram promised the bright chords would be uplifting, and indeed they were. Reuben James' strong motivic piano soloing stood out, with its swaggering McCoy Tyner-ish chords, rhythmic stabs and cross-rhythms.

Other tunes expressed Philippa's ambivalence about her racial identity: the Naima-ish ballad Longing for Love (beautifully sung and played from the heart by Abram) and the fast swing of Lord Have Mercy. In Trouble on the Home Front Abram played exciting high trills and squeals over its afro-latin grooves and almost rock piano riffs.

Philippa became disillusioned by white treatment of black musicians. In Find a New Soul, her move into journalism was portrayed by the clattering urgency of a TV news theme, 60s afro-latin grooves and Debussyesque piano chords to depict her journalism in the far east. The audience especially loved this one.

The dark thrum of The Cogdells recalled the Texan racism of Philippa's maternal family. Its edgy broken rhythms atonal melody moved into a dark minor groove in 5/4 . Dave Hamblett's drum solo had lots of energy, sparkling cymbals and a big sound

As the audience yelled for more, Hidden Blues started like a Jelly Roll Morton stomp with an Armstrongy trumpet feel, a fine rootsy bass solo by Alex Davis, swinging blues and huge sense of fun.

This young British band is in the middle of a tour to celebrate 10 years of Abram Wilson living in the UK, but he has New Orleans in his soul.

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Live Review of Abram Wilson Quartet at Pizza Express Jazz Club, London

4th April 2012

Being a jazz performer with his own vivid stories to tell, the London-based US trumpeter/vocalist Abram Wilson probably won't be bursting into grateful tears at comparisons with Wynton Marsalis. He would probably twist a wry smile at the gap between their respective funding levels, too. But there are certainly similarities. Wilson also comes from New Orleans, plays very classy trumpet with the blues power, street-party swing and expressive vibrato common to players from that city, and likes to make a gig an event rather than just a stream of enigmatic tunes and byzantine solos. He's currently touring with a tale of the extraordinary life and times of Philippa Schuyler, the mixed-race child piano prodigy turned journalist who died while reporting in Vietnam in 1967.

It's to Wilson's immense credit as a narrator and musician that he can balance this complex tale with a vivacious contemporary jazz performance that stands up in its own right. He sparingly applied his Nat Cole-meets-Motown voice to reflections on Schuyler's childhood, and later to her troubled search for love across America's racial divide. He kept his between-songs narrative tight, witty and moving, and delivered a series of glossy trumpet improvisations in the company of a young band (pianist Reuben James, bassist Alex Davis and drummer Dave Hamblett) that began cautiously, but then threw that to the wind. Light-stepping themes evoked Schuyler's childhood wonderment, from which Wilson segued gracefully into solos of pure long tones, tumbling runs and dramatic, circular-breathing trills. The 1930s Harlem Renaissance was represented in debonair dance grooves that turned into modern-swing closer to 50s Miles Davis, and the group touched on the Watermelon Man funk sound of the next decade as Schuyler's journey advanced. Wilson's next move is to turn it into a staged play. It is a work in progress that will be fascinating to follow.

Friday 6th April 2012 - The Guardian, John Fordham

Images - Ben Amure

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Abram Wilson celebrates 10 years in the UK as he kicks off a 20 date UK Tour at Pizza Express in Soho on April 4th. Thanks to Jazz Services and Arts Council England, Wilson brings his exciting new quartet to London to perform music from Philippa - a new project featuring original music about mixed-raced piano prodigy, Philippa Schuyler. Some dates feature his new septet called Running With The Flame which includes both Jean Tussaint, Pete King and Winston Rollins on traditional folk songs from around the world in which Abram has arranged in a swinging jazz style in tribute to the 2012 Olympics. Check out the schedule HERE and come out and celebrate a 10 year New Orleans /London jazz party all around the UK! Book Pizza Express Tickets HERE.

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Thanks to the band for a great performance as we launch Philippa on our 2012 Spring UK Tour at The Hospital Club in London. Thank you to everyone who came out. It was a great night! Enjoy these pics by Ben Amure and the live sound clips of an exciting evening.

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We had a grat time performing to a full house at Spice Of Life for Night Of The Trumpet Kings - Tribute to Clifford Brown, Freddie Hubbard, Lee Morgan and Woody Shaw. I'd like to thank all who attended, the band for playing an incredible show, my management team, promotoer of the night - Paul Pace and Ben Amure for some great photos. Thanks to everyone!

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A new video I did on Lee Morgan for the Trumpet Kings Gig at Spice Of Life Feb.23 @8pm!

Tickets: www.wegottickets.com

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Check out this video on tumpet king, Freddie Hubbard. His music will be featured on Abram WIlson presents Night Of The Trumpet Kings at Spice Of Life on February 23rd. Show starts 8pm. Click HERE for tickets.

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Running With The Flame, a salute to the 2012 Olympic Games is being composed right NOW and features an incredible septet performing exciting arrangements of folk songs from the six inhabited continents. It features the quartet with veterans Jean Toussaint - tenor saxophone, Pete King - alto saxophone and Winston Rollins - trombone. Summer tour dates are listed under The Abram Wilson Septet HERE.

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Click to listen:

http://www.jazzfm.com/radioplayer/index.php?play=discovery

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We had a great time at Southbank Centre on Fiday afternoon marching 200 students into Royal Festival Hall in a New Orleans funeral procession before the quartet took to the stage to give a dazzling performance of original compositions based on the life of prodigy pianist, Philippa Schuyler. Check out the pictures as well as the track, Adventures In Black And White.

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Join us Friday afternoon at Southbank Centre as we celebrate the life of Harlem born mixed raced pianist, Philippa Schuyler. The performance by the quartet at 5:30pm will be preceded by a New Orleans processional and presentation by Kids Company and myself along with the Londorleans Brass Band at 4:40pm. The entrire performance is free so bring all your friends and family to this special tribute.

Unedited Limited Edition CDs will be available on the day!

Follow this link for more details:

http://ticketing.southbankcentre.co.uk/find/music/gigs-contemporary/tickets/a-jazz-celebration-remembering-the-life-of-philippa-schuyler-62149

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Here's a look at the dates for the Abram Wilson Quartet 2012 Tour.  We're all excited about the 24 dates thus far as more are being added so stay tuned because we may be playing at a venue near you very soon!

Joining us for a select number of performances will be tenor saxophonist - Jean Toussaint, alto saxophonist - Peter King and trombonist - Winston Rollins.  We start the year with a free gig at Southbank Centre on Friday 27th January at 5:30pm.  

Click HERE for more details about all upcoming dates.

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Happy New Year!  2011 has been a great year and I wanted to leave you with some pictures and video from the last 12 months.  See you in 2012!

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Special thanks to Ben Amure, Emile Holba and Rich Spencer for their fantastic images.

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