Terrell Stafford © Andrea Canter

"Terell is one of the great players of our time, a fabulous trumpet player. He has his own voice on his instrument—a very personal sound.” –McCoy Tyner

I first heard trumpeter Terell Stafford when he played with Bobby Watson’s Horizon a number of years ago at the old Dakota in St. Paul. In the past few years I’ve had the pleasure of hearing Stafford with Matt Wilson’s Arts and Crafts project and in a leading role with the Terrell Stafford Quintet at the Iowa City Jazz Festival and on the Dakota stage, including their 2005 gig when they recorded “live at the Dakota.” MaxJazz released the result, Taking Chances, in 2007, described by All About Jazz as “a timeless look at the beauty of jazz from the inside." You can hear the beauty of Stafford's jazz "from the inside" this week at the Village Vanguard (August 19-24).

Miami native Terell Stafford grew up in a musical family, mostly living in Chicago and suburban Washington, DC. He was a relatively late bloomer on trumpet, which he did not begin to play until he was thirteen. Initially studying classical music, his budding interest in jazz was reinforced while attending the University of Maryland (music education) where he played in the college jazz band. "One of my first and most profound musical influences was and is Clifford Brown," notes Stafford. "When I first heard him play 'Cherokee' I was in total awe of his playing." Following advice from Wynton Marsalis, Stafford pursued a Master’s in music performance at Rutgers University where he studied with Dr. William Fielder. Soon he hooked up with Bobby Watson and Horizon, and remained with Watson for five years. McCoy Tyner also took an interest in Stafford’s career, and the young trumpeter joined Tyner's Latin All-Star Band, which featured trombonist Steve Turre, flutist Dave Valentin, and percussionist Jerry Gonzalez.

Terrell Stafford © Andrea Canter

Terell Stafford brings a stellar quintet on the current tour; most are his compatriots on the new release: Pianist Bruce Barth was a young lion who continues to roar. A California native who moved to New York in his teens, Barth worked with Nat Adderley, Stanley Turrentine, and Terrence Blanchard, recording his first CDs as a leader—In Focus and Morning Call (Enja); both were selected by the New York Times for their Top Ten lists. In addition to his numerous recording and performance duties, Barth has produced many of the Vocal Series releases for MaxJazz. Said Terence Blanchard, “Bruce is a great musician, a force to be reckoned with. He has a wide range of abilities—he can be very percussive and energetic or play with the subtleties of a Hank Jones or Herbie Hancock.”

The New York Times critic’s poll dubbed Tim Warfield as “possibly the most powerful tenor saxophonist of his generation.” He appears on two Grammy-nominated CDs – Stefon Harris’ The Grand Unification Theory and Nicholas Payton’s Sonic Trance, as well as on Terell Stafford’s first MaxJazz release, New Beginnings.

Terrell Stafford © Andrea Canter

Taking Chances (MaxJazz 2007)

The Dakota Jazz Club  in Minneapolis has been a special venue to Stafford, who first performed at the old site in St Paul with Bobby Watson and was part of the relocated Dakota’s first season in downtown Minneapolis. “‘Taking Chances,’” says Stafford, “are the first two words that came to my mind when I decided to pursue jazz as a profession…I performed at the new location [in 2004]…and instantly knew this was where I would someday want to record my live CD.” Stafford didn’t wait long for “someday,” recording over three nights in June 2005. The result is 77 minutes of pure delight. Stafford arranged all eight tracks; five are original compositions, two from Stafford and one each from Warfield, Barth and Hall; the rest of the set is filled by two popular standards (“Taking a Chance on Love,” “Old Folks”) and an unusual jazz treatment of the traditional “Jesus Loves Me.”

Taking Chances meets the expectations of a live recording and then some—the intimacy and excitement that pervades live performance well captured, the extended soloing and collaboration that typically distinguishes live from studio recording, the feel that little was planned in advance. This quintet has been performing together for about five years now and their comfort in spontaneous conversation is clear from the first horn note to the final cymbal crash. On tour, the Terell Stafford Quintet will reprise and extend the spirit and musicianship captured on Taking Chances. [Click here for a Jazz Police review ]

The Terell Stafford Quintet  settles in for six nights at the Village Vanguard in Manhattan, August 19-24; visit www.villagevanguard.com. Click here for a Jazz Police review of Taking Chances. See full performance schedule at www.terellstafford.com