Tuesday Night Jazz at the Church presents BROWNMAN PLAYS MILES!
Date: Tuesday, May 6, 2025
Time: 7 PM
Location: James Bay United Church, 511 Michigan St.
Admission is by donation, with a suggested contribution of $20. However, everyone is welcome, regardless of contribution.
Internationally acclaimed jazz trumpet iconoclast Brownman Ali will offer a 5 PM talk on the life of Miles Davis, followed by a 7 PM concert focused on Miles' work from 1944 to 1969.
“Brownman Ali... one of the greatest interpreters of Miles Davis’ work in Canada today.”
— Hamilton Spectator
5:00 PM
In this 1.5-hour session, Brownman takes us on a journey through the extraordinary career of the legendary Miles Davis — from his early years in St. Louis dreaming of playing with Charlie Parker, right up to his death in 1991. With audio samples marking each major shift in Miles’ direction, Brownman explores how this ever-evolving artist reshaped jazz time and again — and made the world follow.
7:00 PM
A special Victoria edition of the Brownman Akoustic 4-Tet takes the stage, featuring hand-picked selections from Miles Davis' iconic eras. You’ll hear pieces from his time with Charlie Parker, his Prestige recordings with the First Great Quintet, highlights from Kind of Blue, and work from the Second Great Quintet.
“We’d need a whole week to cover the full scope of Miles’ career. Tonight, we’re focusing on this rich 20-year period.” — Brownman Ali
Performers:
Brownman Ali – trumpet (Brooklyn / Toronto)
Brent Jarvis – piano (Victoria)
Ken Lister – bass (Victoria)
Kelby MacNayr – drums (Victoria)
“One of the next great voices in the new generation of jazz improvisers.”
— Randy Brecker, legendary 14x Grammy-winning trumpeter
A 2024 JUNO Award nominee and hailed as “Canada’s preeminent jazz trumpeter” by The Village Voice (NYC), Brownman Ali was born in Trinidad and schooled in New York City under Grammy-winning trumpet legend Randy Brecker.
Now based between Brooklyn and Toronto, Brownman leads eight distinct ensembles, including the Brownman Electryc Trio (influenced by Miles Davis) and the award-winning Cruzao Latin-Jazz Quintet. His record label, Browntasauras Records, was founded in Brooklyn in 2009.
With over 300 album credits, Brownman is a sought-after studio musician, performing across genres from bebop to hip-hop. He has collaborated with artists such as Guru's Jazzmatazz (replacing Donald Byrd), Mos Def, KRS-One, Quincy Jones, Paul Simon, Jay-Z, Missy Elliott, the Mingus Dynasty Big Band, Gary Bartz, and Chucho Valdés, among many others.
Accolades include:
JUNO nomination – Jazz Album of the Year (2024)
2 National Jazz Awards (11-time nominee)
10 Global Music Awards
Montreal Jazz Festival’s Grand Prix du Jazz
CBC Galaxie Rising Star Award
SOCAN Composer’s Award
International Independent Music Award – Album of the Year
7 Toronto Independent Music Awards
Black Canadian and Black Impact Awards
Caribbean Arts & Entertainment Award nominee
Featured in Who's Who in Black Canada
NOW Magazine: “Toronto’s Best Jazz Musician”
CBC Radio Canada: “One of the most recorded trumpet players in Canadian history”
NPR (New York): “The new standard in electric jazz”
Honoured by the Trinidad & Tobago Consulate General
Named one of the Top 10 reasons to visit Toronto by Air Canada’s in-flight magazine
Presented by the Arts Ministry of James Bay United Church
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Tuesday Night Jazz at the Church admission by donation (suggested $20)
Masks are optional at the well-ventilated, spacious, and acoustically excellent sanctuary of James Bay United Church.
relax in the cosy and acoustically excellent sanctuary
of James Bay United Church
for some very special presentations
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Tuesday Night Jazz at the Church is an Arts Ministry of James Bay United Church
in partnership with the Victoria Jazz Community