Trumpet visionary Ambrose Akinmusire embodies the versatility and open-minded spirit of early-21st-century jazz. Born in Oakland, California, in 1982, he made a name for himself at a young age, both in his hometown and during his time studying at the Manhattan School of Music. With his 2008 debut solo recording, Prelude ... to Cora, he announced his presence as a composer and bandleader, showcasing a restless style of progressive post-bop that seemed ready to boil over and pivot in any stylistic direction at any moment. On subsequent releases for Blue Note, he juxtaposed classical, world music and hip-hop—see the genre-bending mini-epics on 2018’s Origami Harvest—with his brand of free music. By the late 2010s, he had thoroughly cemented a reputation as one of modern jazz’s most vital talents, known for blending uncompromising experimentalism with soul and grit.