Brian Lynch
b. 1956
Brian Lynch (trumpeter) was born in Champaign, Illinois, on September 12, 1956, and moved with his family to Milwaukee during childhood. He attended Nicolet High School and later enrolled in the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music college program. Around this time, Brian formed a quartet with pianist David Hazeltine, bassist Skip Crumby Bey, and drummer Scott Napoli. He also worked with greats Buddy Montgomery and Melvin Rhyne in Milwaukee. After graduating, Brian worked with alto saxophonist Charles McPherson in San Diego before relocating to New York City in 1981. There, he soon joined the Horace Silver Quintet and also became a member of Toshiko Akiyoshi’s Jazz Orchestra. In late 1988, he joined Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, remaining with the band until Blakey’s passing in 1990.
Brian began his long affiliation with the Phil Woods Quintet in 1986, performing with the group until Woods died in 2015. Simultaneously, he was active on the Latin jazz scene, starting a fruitful collaboration with pianist Eddie Palmieri in 1987. Their album Simpático (credited to the Brian Lynch/Eddie Palmieri Project) won a Grammy Award in 2007. In 2020, Lynch received another Grammy for his album The Omni-American Book Club. Throughout his career, Brian Lynch has recorded over 20 albums as a leader and appeared on over 100 recordings as a sideman. He is also a Professor of Studio Music and Jazz at Frost School of Music, University of Miami, where he has taught since 2011.
Listen to Brian perform his composition “Chandek’s Den” with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers from the album Chippin’ In, recorded in 1990. The tune title refers to Milwaukee trumpeter and pianist Neal Chandak, who passed away in 2022.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YGhHSjnuFQ
More information can be found at:
