CAPE MAY CONVENTION HALL / SUNDAY, MAY 18

The Story

Hailed as “a preeminent voice among young composers” by Downbeat, trumpeter-composer-educator Josh Lawrence has recorded seven solo albums for Posi-Tone Records, the most recent being his 2024 quintet outing, Measured Response. A longstanding member of Orrin Evans’ Captain Black Big Band, the Philadelphia-based musician holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and a master’s degree from the Juilliard School in New York. He also studied with legendary pianist Barry Harris. In 2021, Lawrence was named Director of Jazz Studies at Interlochen Center for the Arts where he now leads the Arts Academy and Summer Camp programs and conducts the Interlochen Jazz Orchestra.

The Sound 

Employing a wide palette of tones and sounds, trumpeter Lawrence who makes a clear statement of purpose with his stunning musicianship, thoughtful melodicism and irrepressible sense of swing. He also has a talent for assembling the hippest cats on the scene, as evidenced by 2019’s Triptych, 2022’s Call Time and 2023’s And That Too. Expect to hear pieces from his latest, Measured Response, including his mellow flugelhorn showcase, “Where Do We Go?,” the quirky “A Tragic Tango Comedy,” the introspective and muted trumpet number “Song for Whales,” along with the delicate tribute number “Prelude to a Farewell (For Barry Harris) and all-out bop-fueled burners “Every Choice Comes with an Invoice” and “Flip on a Dip.”