Cleveland Jazz Orchestra: "Afro-Cuban Explosion" at BLU Jazz+

Grammy-nominated New York trumpeter, composer and Oberlin graduate, Michael Philip Mossman, joins the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra in a dynamic exploration of the intersection of music from Africa, Cuba and the rest of the Caribbean – “Night in Tunisia,” Mambo, Montuno, Salsa, Samba and more!

For 31 years, The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra has been Northeast Ohio’s premier jazz voice. Led by trombonist, composer & arranger, Paul Ferguson, the CJO promotes jazz in its historical and contemporary forms, through concerts with gifted jazz musicians, arrangers, composers and educators in northeast Ohio. The CJO aims for worldwide recognition in cooperation with guest artists, and looks to shepherd young musicians toward the future of jazz. This season exemplifies this mission and vision through a variety of new music, new compositions and arrangements, and a stellar line-up of well-known guest artists and young up-and-coming talent.

Join us as the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra makes their return appearance to BLU Jazz+ with very special guest, Michael Philip Mossman – get your tickets now!

– – –

About Michael Philip Mossman

Michael Philip Mossman, Professor and Director of Jazz Studies at the Copland School of Music at Queens College (NYC), has been active on the international scene since the age of 17.

After stints as lead trumpet with the Machito Orchestra, Toshiko Akiyoshi, and the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, Michael became the musical director of Blue Note Records’ group, Out of the Blue, with whom he recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, Art Blakey, Joe Henderson, McCoy Tyner, Gerry Mulligan, Joe Zawinul, Slide Hampton, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Jon Faddis, George Gruntz, Bob Mintzer, Steve Turre, Anthony Braxton, Roscoe Mitchell, Tom Pierson, Benny Carter, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra, and the Charles Mingus, Gil Evans, and Count Basie Orchestras. Michael has played lead trumpet with the Michel Camilo Big Band, the Jon Faddis Orchestra, the Chico O’Farrill Orchestra, and the Jimmy Heath Big Band among many others.

Since then, Mr. Mossman has been a key performer in Latin jazz. He has performed and recorded with Tito Puente, Eddie Palmieri, Chico O’Farrill, Ray Barretto, Daniel Ponce, Israel “Cachao” Lopez, Paquito D’Rivera, Bebo Valdez and Michel Camilo. He has performed classical and contemporary classical pieces with the Chicago Chamber Orchestra, the Naumburg Orchestra, the Jupiter Symphony Orchestra, the New Jersey Composers’ Guild, the Garden State Chamber Orchestra, the New Jersey Symphony, the National Symphony of the Dominican Republic, and the contemporary ensemble Secret Cosmos. He has recorded Daniel Schnyder’s Sonata for Trumpet, and two solo classical albums for MM1.

Michael was nominated for a 2013 Grammy award for “Best Instrumental Arrangement” for his Afro-Latin Ellington Suite. He has composed and arranged music for the films Bossa Nova and Chico and Rita (which was nominated for a 2012 Academy Award). His ballet Beneath the Mask was performed by Jon Faddis and the Chicago Jazz Orchestra with the Deeply Rooted Dance Company (choreographed by Mayte Vicens). Mr. Mossman has conducted the Bilbao Symphonic Orchestra in Spain, and has composed and arranged scores for the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Louisiana Philharmonic, the Tri-Cities Symphony, Joe Henderson’s Grammy-winning Big Band album, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Orchestra, the Count Basic Orchestra, the Charles Mingus Orchestra, Tito Puente, Mario Bauza, Slide Hampton and the Jazz Masters Orchestra, Paquito D’Rivera, the UMO Orchestra of Finland, the NDR Big Band of Hamburg, WDR of Cologne, HR Bigband of Frankfurt, HGM Bigband of Zagreb, Danish Radio Big Band, the Andalucia Latin Jazz Big Band, Heineken Jazz Festival Orchestra (Puerto Rico), Granada Bigband, Sedajazz Latin Jazz Ensemble, and Ray Barretto’s New World Spirit.