Keyon Harrold

Born in Ferguson, Missouri, in 1980, Keyon Harrold develops a language at the crossroads of jazz, hip-hop and neo-soul, with trumpet playing that is supple, singing and deeply anchored in rhythm. Trained at The New School in New York, he first establishes himself as a sideman and arranger in varied contexts, from club jazz to soul and rap productions, notably working with Common, Robert Glasper, Charles Tolliver, Gregory Porter, Maxwell, D'Angelo, Jay-Z or Beyoncé. This circulation between acoustic stages and urban music structures his aesthetic, where improvisation remains central but fits into formats open to contemporary grooves, soul textures and a direct melodic writing. After Introducing Keyon Harrold in 2009, he broadens his spectrum with The Mugician in 2017, an album that blends modern jazz, spoken word, funk, R&B and hip-hop. The same period sees him performing trumpet parts for the Miles Ahead film devoted to Miles Davis, a work that emphasizes his ability to move between interpretation, composition and musical direction. More recently, Keyon Harrold has continued this trajectory with Foreverland in 2024, confirming a career built between jazz stages, cross-disciplinary collaborations and hybrid forms.