Brandon Woody | HSL Tucson Jazz Festival

($35-$45 + Ticket Fees | 6:30pm & 8:30pm Shows) Baltimore-born trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Brandon Woody brings one of the most compelling new voices in contemporary jazz to The Century Room. Rooted in the lineage of Black music—from jazz and gospel to improvisation and beyond—Woody has built a deeply personal sound around themes of love, resilience, and community. In 2024, he signed with Blue Note Records, joining one of jazz’s most storied labels, and released his acclaimed debut For The Love Of It All with his longtime band Upendo in 2025. Woody’s playing balances warmth, urgency, and striking control. DownBeat praised his “rich and expressive” tone, while the Financial Times heard a range extending “from gentle lyricism to swaggering virtuosity.” His collaborations with artists including Terri Lyne Carrington, Robert Glasper, Danilo Pérez, Marcus Gilmore, and Solange reflect both his jazz credentials and his reach across today’s broader creative culture. At The Century Room, Woody offers the kind of intimate setting that suits his music perfectly: close enough to hear every shift in tone, every rhythmic turn, and every conversation inside the band. This is modern jazz with deep roots, clear purpose, and the energy of an artist fully arriving on his own terms. “Staggeringly self-assured… radiating warmth, purpose, and a sense of place.”
— The Washington Post