Keyon Harrold

Keyon Harrold
Birth name	Keyon Karim Harrold
Born	November 18, 1980
Origin	Ferguson, Missouri, USA
Genres	Jazz • Rhythm and blues • Hip hop
Occupation(s)	Musician • bandleader • composer • producer
Instruments	Trumpet • drums • piano • vocals
Labels	Criss Cross Jazz • Legacy Recordings
Associated acts	Common • Maxwell • Beyoncé • JAY-Z • D’Angelo • Charles Tolliver • Robert Glasper • Gregory Porter
Website	http://keyonharrold.com/

Keyon Harrold (November 18, 1980—) is an American jazz trumpeter, vocalist, songwriter and producer.

Early Life

Harrold was born and raised in Ferguson, Missouri, one of nine children in a family of musicians. His grandfather was a former police officer who founded The Memorial Lancers Drum and Bugle Corps. Harrold graduated from the School of Jazz at The New School.

Harrold counts Miles Davis' second great quintet, Prince, Common, Dr. Dre and J Dilla as influences.

Career

Harrold’s first professional gig was as a trumpeter with Common, an audition he secured on the recommendation of New School classmate Robert Glasper. He performed at The White House as part of Common’s Tiny Desk Concertfor NPR in 2016.

A mentee of trumpeter Charles Tolliver, Harrold performed as part of Tolliver’s big band on the studio album With Love (2006) and concert release Emperor March: Live At The Blue Note (2007).

During this period, Harrold became a notable crossover performer, becoming a staple of New York jazz clubs as well as providing instrumentation for recordings by JAY-Z, Beyoncé, 50 Cent, Anthony Hamilton, Gregory Porter, Mac Miller, Mary J. Blige and Maxwell. Harrold has also toured with Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour, Rihanna, Eminem, Gregory Porter, D’Angelo, Maxwell and Mary J. Blige.

Harrold supplied all of the trumpet playing in Don Cheadle’s Miles Davis biopic Miles Ahead, playing to match Cheadle’s on-screen performance as well as the character of Junior, portrayed by Keith Stanfield. The soundtrack to the film won a Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media.

His first solo album, Introducing Keyon Harrold, was released in 2009. AllMusic praised the album, saying “it bodes well for his bright future” as one of “the leading jazz trumpet players of a new generation.” A follow-up, The Mugician, is planned for a 2017 release.

Style

Harrold’s playing has been compared to Freddie Hubbard by Down Beat. Wynton Marsalis once referred to him as “the future of the trumpet.”

Discography

Albums

• Introducing Keyon Harrold (Criss Cross, 2009)
• The Mugician (Legacy Recordings, 2017)

Selected guest appearances

• Charles Tolliver Big Band, With Love (Blue Note/Mosaic, 2006)
• Beyoncé, “Back Up” (from B’Day – Columbia, 2006)
• John Legend & Mary J. Blige, “King and Queen” (from Once Again – G.O.O.D./Columbia, 2006)
• Charles Tolliver Big Band, Emperor March: Live At The Blue Note (Blue Note, 2007)
• 50 Cent, “Touch the Sky” (from Curtis – Aftermath/Interscope, 2007)
• JAY-Z, “Roc Boys (And the Winner Is…)” (from American Gangster – Roc-a-Fella, 2007)
• Maxwell, BLACKsummers'night (Columbia, 2009)
• Anthony Hamilton, Back to Love (RCA, 2011)
• Gregory Porter, “Real Good Hands” (from Be Good – Blue Note, 2012)
• Various Artists, Miles Ahead: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (Columbia/Legacy, 2016)
• Gregory Porter, Take Me to the Alley (Blue Note, 2016)
• Maxwell, blackSUMMERS’night (Columbia, 2016)
• Mac Miller, “Stay” (from The Divine Feminine – REMember/Warner Bros., 2016)