Jazz At MOCA To Feature GRAMMY Award-Winning Trumpeter Curtis Taylor

The Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami (MOCA) is thrilled to present GRAMMY Award-winning Trumpeter Curtis Taylor as part of its monthly "Jazz at MOCA" series on Friday, Oct. 25. Taylor blends soulful, harmonic rhythms together for an unforgettable sound. His improvisational style demonstrates a level of maturity far beyond his counterparts.

Taylor grew up in Bedford, Ohio, where he started playing the trumpet at just 10 years old. In 2007, Taylor completed his B.A. in Jazz Studies at Michigan State University, where he studied under renowned jazz educators Derrick Gardner, Wess Anderson and Rodney Whitaker. He went on to attain his master's degree at Rutgers University and had the opportunity to study with the late William "Prof" Fielder, a legendary educator who taught many jazz notables.

Throughout his career, Taylor has had the opportunity to perform and record with some of the most renowned jazz musicians including Patrice Rushen, Billy Childs, Gary Novak, Bob Sheppard, Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Ed Motta, Rodney Whitaker and James Carter's Quintet as well as great gospel luminaries Karen Clark-Sheard, Kierra Sheard and the Singletons.

Taylor worked alongside of Kamau Kenyatta, the two-time GRAMMY Award-winning producer for Jazz vocal-star Gregory Porter. While building the musical team for Porter's album "Liquid Spirit," Kenyatta chose Taylor as the trumpeter because of his elegant solos and precise ensemble playing. Gregory Porter's "Liquid Spirit" won the GRAMMY Award for "Best Jazz Vocal Album" in 2014.

The public is invited to enjoy the soulful sounds of Curtis Taylor, rain or shine.

The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), North Miami is dedicated to making contemporary art accessible to diverse audiences through the collection, preservation and exhibition of the best of contemporary art and its art historical influences. MOCA began operating in 1981, opened a new building in 1996 designed by Charles Gwarthmey of GSNY, and was the first collecting institution in Miami. MOCA has previously presented solo and survey exhibitions of artists including Bill Viola, Tracey Emin, Edouard Duval-Carrié, Virginia Overton, Purvis Young, and Wangechi Mutu, among many others. Under the direction of recently appointed Executive Director Chana Sheldon, MOCA premiered AFRICOBRA: Messages to the People during Art Basel Miami Beach in 2018. AFRICOBRA: Nation Time, the next chapter of the exhibition, was selected as an official Collateral Event of Biennale Arte 2019 in Venice, Italy. The museum has been recognized with grants and awards from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, and the Institute for Museum and Library Services.

MOCA is an inclusive cultural hub, embracing the diversity that defines its dynamic community, and organizing exhibitions that propel art and ideas connected to its South Florida home into the global cultural conversation. The museum is located at 770 NE 125th Street, North Miami, FL 33161. It is open Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Saturday - Sunday 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (closed Mondays and major holidays). Admission to the museum is $10 and free to MOCA members and North Miami residents. For more information, visit mocanomi.org, call 305-893-6211 or email info@mocanomi.org.

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