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Keyon Harrold, Tel Aviv, November 2018

Playing the jazz trumpet is -- by nature -- a challenging affair. Just a brief glance at the history of the instrument reveals how few trumpeters are recognized beyond the aesthetic boundaries of this music. And of these great players, how few are graced to see a rewarding old age.

Keyon Harrold is one of those few, in my book. His trumpet chops, flexibility, impeccable taste, broad ears and superwide vision all make for exceptional artistry. But it's his consistent focus on what the music is about that will take Keyon to the highest achievements and hopefully preserve him.

In this Tel Aviv performance, Keyon hit hard with his quintet and the audience was right there with him, catching fire, believe me.

Keyon doesn’t blow you out of your seat from the first note. No, no. He builds his energy quietly until the music is lighting up your bones. His music fills the space, defying all the labels. And while Keyon is building, you have the impression that he's just taking his time, sitting on a powder keg.

Listen: “As artists our job is to paint the times and use our platform to actually get stuff done.”

A key element is how he brings his personal activism to his performances. He minced no words when introducing his powerful, brooding and sizzling MB Lament, talking about the 2014 police killing of 18 year-old Michael Brown in Keyon's hometown of Ferguson, Missouri, and focusing his audience on the brutality, racism and zenophobia.

Talking through his feelings is part of Keyon's presentation, like his sweet trumpet-color singing and the crackly spoken audio clips that are woven into his performances. It all comes off flawlessly, with real love and with an experienced artist's ear.

Keyon's a sweet guy too, with a quiet confidence cultivated growing up in a musical family near St. Louis. He's got a beautiful legacy behind him in St. Louis trumpeters like Clark Terry, Miles Davis and Lester Bowie. Like these giants, he knows how to make that metal speak his mind.

Keyon! Play it as you see/hear/feel it. And take good care my friend.

Keyon's playing is found all over YouTube, and in a variety of settings: Keyon's Her Beauty Through My Eyes from a Brooklyn-based program called the B-Side showcases his unique slow-burn qualities. You can also hear a live take of the title track from his first album The Mugician from the same gig. Catch a taste of Keyon's production vision here on Ethereal Souls, also from the 2017 Mugician album. And if you like your music with a message, don't miss Circus Show a tribute to the current US President and everything he's draggin' behind him.

Find some more images from the Keyon Harrold Quintet's performance here.