From his beginnings as one of Chicago’s most thrilling young trumpeters, to his current status as an internationally renowned musician, composer & bandleader, Marquis Hill has worked tirelessly to break down the barriers that divide musical genres. Contemporary & classic jazz, hip-hop, R&B, Chicago house, neo-soul—to Hill, they’re all essential elements of the profound African-American creative heritage he’s a part of. That mission to bring styles together, complemented by his absolute mastery of his instrument, is a through line connecting his many achievements. Born in Chicago in 1987 and raised on the city’s culturally rich South Side, Marquis began playing drums at age 4, before switching to trumpet in the 6th grade. He attended high school at Kenwood Academy, excelling in its revered jazz-performance program, and was mentored by Bobby Broom, Willie Pickens, Tito Carrillo and other Chicago greats through the Ravinia Jazz Scholars program. He earned his bachelor’s in music education from Northern Illinois University and his master’s in jazz pedagogy from DePaul University. During college he made gigs & sessions around Chicago, jamming with and absorbing wisdom from the likes of Fred Anderson, Ernest Dawkins & Von Freeman. Even then, he was known in town as a stunningly gifted trumpeter with a soulful, highly textured tone. His sound is now somehow both deeply distinctive and a tour through jazz-trumpet history, evoking the high-drama stillness and space of Miles; the undeniable virtuosity of Clifford Brown & Freddie Hubbard; the groove- savvy phrasing of Lee Morgan & Donald Byrd; and many more of the known greats. Well before Marquis won the Monk prize—arguably the most important jazz competition in the world—his reputation for brilliance was firmly established in the Midwest, as a member of the Chicago Jazz Orchestra, an in-demand sideman and a bandleader. He also developed into a precocious, determined young label owner, and has released 5 acclaimed discs—New Gospel, Sounds of the City, The Poet and Modern Flows Vols. I and II and more, through his Black Unlimited Music Group imprint. Throughout his journey, he has supported and guested with a who’s who of jazz that includes Marcus Miller, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Boney James, Kurt Elling, Joe Lovano and Hill’s trailblazing Chicago peer Makaya McCraven. Just this last week, the award-winning trumpeter, composer and bandleader who is widely acclaimed for his soulful, eclectic modern jazz sensibility, is proud to present Composers Collective: Beyond the Jukebox, a new album celebrating the compositions of others: in particular, a group of cherished colleagues & friends, many of them fellow Chicagoans, invited by Mr. Hill to compose a piece for the album with him specifically in mind. In addition to 6 of Hill’s compositions, the program includes pieces by Ernest Dawkins, Gary Bartz, Jeff Parker, Marcus Strickland, SABA, Geof Bradfield & Matt Gold, as well as the members of Hill’s core quintet: vibraphonist Joel Ross, pianist Michael King, bassist Junius Paul & drummer Corey Fonville.
I had the pleasure of getting to spend a little time with Marquis Hill ahead of his September 19th event in Madison at Cafe Coda when he and the Composer’s Collective will put on two shows (7pm and 9pm). I was pleased to both discuss who will be coming with him as part of the collective, and was not disappointed to hear who is going to be with him in Madison creating in real time. We even talk a little about the vibes man! He paints the scene a bit as to what folks in attendance can expect to be a part. I found it really interesting when we talked about the making of the new record and how something about other’s music clicked in. When we got toGether, the new album, ‘Composers Collective: Beyond The JukeBox’ had yet to even drop and I was able to soak come in early and we not only go seed to flower on the who & what, but we go deep in to see how that genre-less music created, gets discovered, explored and put out to the universe. We do find out a little bit about how that open-mindedness became a part of who he is, in what I am assuming, everything he does and why he is able to challenge himself into where the music lives with such diverse people;.
Marquis Hill
Composers Collective: Beyond The JukeBox
Album Credits:
Marquis Hill, trumpet
Joel Ross, vibes/marimba
Michael King, piano
Junius Paul, bass
Corey Fonville, drums
Guests:
Gerald Clayton, piano
Makaya McCraven, drums
Jef Parker, guitar
Josh Johnson, Caroline Davis, alto sax
Samora Pinderhughes, Manasseh, Christie Dashiell, vocals
