The Story

The thoughtful and fiery Baltimore trumpeter Brandon Woody has been on the cusp of stardom since his hometown Baltimore Sun profiled the up-and-coming talent in 2015. An alumnus of the Baltimore School for the Arts and Peabody Youth Orchestra, Woody built his chops partly through playing classical works, winning concerto competitions along the way. After stints at the Brubeck Institute in California, where he studied with trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and vibraphonist Stefon Harris, and the Manhattan School of Music, where he studied with trumpet elder Cecil Bridgewater, Woody returned to Baltimore in 2019, when he was profiled once again by his hometown newspaper. Showcased as  an Emerging Voice at the 2020 Festival of New Trumpet Music, Woods was recently signed to Blue Note Records (his debut will be released in the Spring of 2025). He will make his first appearance at the Exit Zero Jazz Festival with his band Upendo (Swahili for “love”).

The Sound

Straddling old school and new school jazz, Woody’s repertoire ranges from trance-like (“Never Gonna Run Away”) to inspired gospel flavored numbers (“Wisdom”) to melodic gems (“Trees”), from ultra-sensitive odes (“We, Ota Benga”) to bracing vehicles (“Threads”), the 26-year-old trumpeter brings a wealth of music to bear in a given set. And along the way, he will show flashes of Freddie Hubbard, Roy Hargrove, Hugh Masekela and Eddie Gale, tipping his hat to his elders while striding confidently into the future.