photo by Nick Ruechel

PERFORMING PROJECTS

Presently, Brian is touring and recording as a member of the Phil Woods Quintet and Eddie Palmieri's Afro-Caribbean Jazz group, as well as appearing with various other bands including the "Latin Side Of Miles" project he co-leads with trombonist Conrad Herwig. As a bandleader, he is currently involved with these group projects of his own:

"SPHERES OF INFLUENCE" - Latin jazz and beyond

To those "in the know" on the jazz and Latin music scenes, trumpeter Brian Lynch is regarded as a vital part of both. From jazz work with Horace Silver, Art Blakey (Brian was the last trumpeter in Blakey's Jazz Messengers) and now Phil Woods, to his continuing collaboration with Latin music legend Eddie Palmieri (not to mention years of experience in the salsa field with the likes of Hector LaVoe, Angel Canales, etc.), Brian's musicality and creativity knows no musical boundaries. Now Brian has brought together the diverse strands of his musical world in his group "Spheres Of Influence" (titled after his acclaimed Sharp Nine release). Spheres brings together brilliant musicians, versed in all the different musics of North America and the Caribbean, flying the jazz flag and making powerful, eloquent music around the frame of Brian's compositions and arrangements. This ensemble, in a specially augmented nine piece version, has recently given a series of concerts under the auspices of the Doris Duke Foundation/Chamber Music America "New Works" grant program and recorded for the Japanese label EWE. Look out also for the upcoming Criss Cross release "Jazz Con Clave" to hear the sound of Spheres fully represented on CD.

"TRIBUTE TO THE TRUMPET MASTERS"

No contemporary musician is more qualified to represent the jazz trumpet tradition than Brian Lynch. From his lengthy tenures in two of the most important jazz "academies", The Horace Silver Quintet and Art Blakey and The Jazz Messengers, to his present collaboration with such jazz legends as Phil Woods, Brian's credentials are impeccable. Jazz fans everywhere can attest to the uniformly high quality of his own work as well, as recording artist, composer, and bandleader. Now, Brian brings his unique, yet grounded voice and expressive virtuosity to a new performing project, based on his brilliant Sharp Nine CD: "Tribute To The Trumpet Masters". In his "Trumpet Masters" group, Brian brings to the concert, club, or educational venue a flexible but thematic program, based on a blend of compositions by jazz trumpet greats from Louis Armstrong to Woody Shaw and his own distinctive original compositions written expressly to evoke the sprit of the many trumpeters who he loves and reveres. The program can be presented either in traditional performance format, or in a special presentation where Brian will discuss the jazz trumpet tradition and its heroes in the context of the program. The "Trumpet Masters" group can appear either as a quartet or a quintet with special guest stars such as the great Phil Woods. Brian even has a set of his own big band arrangements of the "Trumpet Masters" book that expands his program into full 17 piece glory!

ELECTRIC QUARTET

This exciting group showcases the elctronically augmented sound of Brian's trumpet in a quartet format featuring the distinctive timbre of the Fender Rhodes electric piano. Brian's recent CD Fuschia/Red (Cellar Jazz) captures this group in glorious, psychedelic live action!

THE BRIAN LYNCH BIG BAND

17 pieces strong! - compositions and arrangements by Brian Lynch

"Lynch writes in an unusual, fresh style. The ensemble writing is clean and clear. His writing uses many musical devices. He mixes it up with unison lines, counterpoint, and rhythmic harmonic fills. Lynch knows all different styles of music, and his writing obviously reflects this....They were dynamite!"

LUCY GALLIHER, Jazz Now Feb. 2002