JOSHUA CRUMBLY

As daunting as it may seem to describe the multi-faceted career of Joshua Crumbly in one word, you couldn’t do any better than the one he’s chosen to title his debut album: Rise. Since making his professional debut at age 10 alongside his saxophonist father, the gifted bassist has continued on a remarkable trajectory. With the release of Rise, due out May 15 on Open Book Records, he takes the next bold leap, unveiling a stunning, uplifting vision that embraces the full spectrum of his musical experiences.

After being mentored by such iconic bassists as Reggie Hamilton (Whitney Houston, Seal), Al McKibbon (Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins) and Victor Bailey (Weather Report), Crumbly went on to study at the prestigious Juilliard School. By the end of his freshman year he’d been recruited to join trumpet great Terence Blanchard’s acclaimed band, recording the acclaimed Blue Note album Magnetic. Since then he’s recorded and toured with a staggering list of genre-blurring artists including Kamasi Washington, Lizz Wright, Stefon Harris, Ravi Coltrane, Anthony Wilson and soul singer-songwriter Leon Bridges.

Somehow the music on Rise manages to draw inspiration from all of those artists, melding into an uncategorizable but eminently inviting sound. (Bio by: Shaun Brady)