Biography

The American jazz trumpeter and music producer Keyon Harrold was born in 1980 in Missouri. Harrold grew up in the Ferguson area, raised in a large family comprised of musicians; his grandfather is even the founder of the Memorial Lancers Drum and Bugle Corps. Keyon’s rise to prominence was quick; his very first professional gig was for none other than the award-winning performer Common.

Within a short period of time, Keyon had made a name for himself in the New York jazz clubs, but also as a remarkable “crossover” performer, collaborating with everyone from Jay-Z to Maxwell; from Mary J. Blige to Eminem. Harrold recorded the soundtrack for the film Miles Ahead, the biopic on legendary performer Miles Davis, earning a Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media.

Then, in 2009, Keyon Harrold launched his solo career with the debut album Introducing Keyon Harrold. The album earned accolades from a variety of critics; AllMusic provided a notable praise for the album, tapping Harrold as one of the “leading jazz trumpet players of a new generation,” and forecasting a successful future for Keyon as a solo artist. Clearly an artist on the rise, Harrold’s next album, The Mugician, just released in late 2017.