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Ambrose Akinmusire is obsessed with beauty. The trumpeter, composer, and ever-evolving curator of new sounds is known for exploring new sonic frontiers, and his Owl Song trio has become one of his primary vehicles for investigation. Featuring guitar legend and Healdsburg stalwart Bill Frisell and New Orleans drum poet Herlin Riley, the stripped-down ensemble ranges across the broad expanse of American music, providing an intimate setting for conversations with Frisell, a musician who’s helped shape his vision. “What I love about Bill is his curiosity,” Akinmusire says. “He’s one of my role models. He’s still questioning and pushing.”A standout player since his years at Berkeley High, Akinmusire has distinguished himself at every step, from winning the Thelonious Monk International Trumpet Competition in 2007 to delivering critically hailed commissioned works for the world’s most august stages, including the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Berlin Jazz Festival, the Kennedy Center, and MassMOCA. Long enthralled with Frisell’s music, he sought out several opportunities to collaborate over the years as a duo, starting in 2014 when Akinmusire was artist-in-residence at the Montreal International Jazz Festival. A few weeks before the pandemic first shut down New York City he and Frisell did a four-night duo run at the Blue Note, “playing some of my tunes and some of his,” Akinmusire says. “It was just an excuse to create and explore together.” They added Riley into the mix in 2022, debuting Owl Song at the SFJAZZ Center. One of two albums he released last year on Nonesuch (the other was Beauty Is Enough, a striking solo trumpet session), Owl Song earned glowing reviews, and the music has taken startling new shapes since the recording. Don’t miss this singular ensemble, a group that knows how to make silence whisper, ring, and resound.
Joining Owl Song on a magnificent double bill is a trio of a very different feather. Harpist Brandee Younger is a rapidly rising star who honors and extends the legacy of her pioneering predecessors Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane at each performance. She’s a thrilling improviser and savvy sound designer who thrives in acoustic and electric settings. In 2022, she made history by becoming the first Black woman to be nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Composition. Beyond jazz, she’s collaborated with cultural icons such as Common, Lauryn Hill, John Legend, and Moses Sumney. The trio she brings to Healdsburg is a sleek and swinging unit featuring ace bassist Rashaan Carter, best known for his work with masters like Wallace Roney, David Murray, Henry Threadgill, Ravi Coltrane, Geri Allen, Nicole Mitchell, Benny Golson, and the similarly sought after drummer Allan Mednard, whose credits include touring and recording with Jeremy Pelt, Ben Allison, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Aaron Park, among many others.
This event will take place at Bacchus Landing. Located at the crossroads of three of Sonoma County’s premier wine regions, Bacchus Landing in Healdsburg represents a curated collection of boutique wineries, showcasing a wide range of grape varietals and winemaking styles. These wineries include Aldina Vineyards, Convene by Dan Kosta, Dot Wine, Montagne Russe, The Setting Wines, Smith Story Wine Cellars, and Westside Sparkling. Taste the wines from the collective of world-class wineries, each with its own beautiful and spacious tasting room and enjoy wood-fired pizza from team Bacchus. Stroll the stunning Mediterranean grounds.
For this Saturday's concert, Chef Mateo Granados will offer saffron paella, Calasparra rice, La Mancha saffron, chicken, chorizo, and seasonal vegetables. Mateo has been an important part of the Sonoma County food scene for years. First developing his successful food truck business, then as the chef-owner of the popular Latin-French fusion restaurant Mateo's Cocina Latina in downtown Healdsburg for over 10 years.
This concert will take place outdoors in Bacchus Landing’s beautiful courtyard with theater-style seating. Please dress for changing weather conditions.
** SEATING CHART NOTE: $25 Student pricing Row T | Luxury Lounges (for six) | Bistro Pairs are sold as a single unit. Please note if you need to cancel/change the Luxury Lounge or Bistro Pair from your cart, you must return to the seating chart.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
14210 Bacchus Landing Way, Healdsburg, CA 95448, United States
Tickets
