Terell Stafford - Forgive and Forget (2016)

I'm happy to announce the release of a new album from trumpeter Terell Stafford. It's called 'Forgive and Forget' and is the second installment of a series of recordings dubbed "Jazzmasters Unlimited". A master trumpeter with over 20 years of experience on the jazz scene, Terell has been hailed as " one of the great players of our time, a fabulous trumpet player " by legendary pianist McCoy Tyner. A powerful trumpeter, with a finely honed sense of swing, and the ability to croon lilting balladry of great beauty, Terell can play modern, uptempo, or groovy in the pocket. The Terell Stafford Quintet,, is an acclaimed ensemble which plays major jazz festivals and clubs around the country and has issued fine recordings like "Brotherlee Love" on the Capri label, which topped the prestigious Jazzweek chart for two non- consecutive weeks in 2015 and was nominated for an NAACP Image Award, and "This Side of Strayhorn" on the Maxjazz label, which was a Downbeat Magazine Editor's pick in 2011. As a soloist, Terell is constantly in demand and has performed with a who's who of jazz luminaries including Bobby Watson, McCoy Tyner, Benny Golson, Kenny Baron, Jimmy Heath Big Band, Matt Wilson Arts & Crafts, The Clayton Brothers and the Grammy Award winning Village Vanguard Orchestra. Terell has been recognized as a Rising Star Trumpeter by Downbeat Magazine in 2003 and 2006 and as a Trumpeter Deserving Wider Recognition in 1999 and 2002. Terell is the Director of Jazz Studies and Chair of Instrumental Studies in the Boyer College of Music at Temple University and Founder and Artistic Director of The Philadelphia Jazz Orchestra. This production of "Jazzmasters Unlimited", which also features the talents of Tim Warfield-tenor saxophone, Kevin Hays-Piano, Greg Williams-bass, and Rodney Green-drums, serves as a showcase of Terell's improvisational abilities. It's an attempt to capture one of the major trumpet voices of his generation in the regular working environment of the jazz musician, the recording studio.....slightly different from, and historically parallel to a musician's live performance. Aside from being a fantastic and verstile performer, I found working in-studio with Terell memorable for being easy, as he's a man of very little muss or fuss. He calmly unpacked his trumpet, received a bit of instruction about the tunes, and then he started blowing. And so he blew, and blew....blew like a man singularly posessed with craft and accustomed to working in tight windows. He blew a number of solos of astonishing consistency, grace and fire. The resulting document 'Forgive and Forget', is an inspiration to me. I hope it inspires you as well.