Abram Wilson & The Delta Blues Project Presents RIDE!

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Abram Wilson & The Delta Blues Project to release a new album Ride! in early Winter 2007. Following the release of his debut album Jazz Warrior, the prodigiously talented Abram Wilson is now considered to be the most exciting trumpeter to hit the UK scene in a long time. Abram Wilsons Ride! received its world premiere at the Cheltenham International Jazz Festival in April and won rave reviews. It features an explosive 10 piece line-up of three bands in one: Delta Blues Trio, Londorleans Brass Band (a traditional New Orleans brass band), and the Abram Wilson Sextet. It covers every style of music from gospel to blues to hip hop to marching band plus a good dose of straight-ahead jazz. Ride! tells the story of a young mans journey from his backwater hometown in Mississippi to the thrills of big city life.

Born in Fort Smith, Arkansas in 1975, Abram Wilson was raised along with his four brothers and one sister in New Orleans, Louisiana. The eldest of six children, the entire family including mother, Doris Wilson, and father, Willie C Wilson Jr, had some experience in music. At nine, Abram received his first trumpet and after being taught his first note by his mother, he immediately began learning songs from the radio and developing his own method of ear training.

Starting with his first instructor, Lester Wright, Abram quickly became the most advanced in the class and at 13 he auditioned for the New Orleans Center For Creative Arts (NOCCA), a school specialising in jazz and classical music, among other art forms, and responsible for producing artists such as Wynton Marsalis, Terence Blanchard, Harry Connick Jr, Donald Harrison, Delfayo Marsalis, and Nicholas Payton, all of whom graduated from the school.

At 17, Abram was teaching trumpet privately and soon earned a music scholarship to Ohio Wesleyan University. Here, he studied classical trumpet with Larry Griffin and at 22, graduated with a bachelor's degree in music education. Abram went on to study at the world renown Eastman Conservatory in New York where he attained his masters. It was also during this time Abram became closely involved with Young Audiences, an organization which brought professional artists to schools to perform and conduct workshops for children.

Upon graduating from Eastman, Abram moved to New York where he started his own band incorporating both his vocal and trumpet skills, and continued to promote music education throughout the schools there. By now he was regularly performing with the Roy Hargrove Big Band and with rhythm and blues legend, Ruth Brown, appearing on her Good Day for the Blues release in 1999.

Coming to London in 2002, Abram quickly made links to some of the best artists here and, before long, was booked to appear as part of the Julian Joseph Big Band. A chance meeting with the directors of Dune Records at a jam session at Londons Jazz Cafe set the wheels in train for, he was signed to the label in late-2003.

As well as being the hottest trumpeter to hit these shores for decades, Abram is an excellent singer, songwriter whose voice is a finely wrought instrument enabling him to cover all styles of music, from jazz scat to rap, from ballads to boogaloo, RnB to hip hop, reggae and ska to soul. As a composer, he has a broad range of skills, being able to write for string orchestra and big band, as well as small ensembles. He also regularly works with the hip/RnB/soul production team, Seulja, where he primarily undertakes vocal and instrumental arranging.

An amazing, multi-faceted performing artist, Abram is also an experienced music teacher and educator. He was Head of Music at a London school, a post he held for two years and, being keen to maintain his role as an educator, he has developed an inspirational education workshops programme which can be tailored to meet the needs of all age groups and abilities. He is absolutely fantastic with kids and young people, being young at heart himself, and is great with adults too, especially when it comes to reconnecting them with the fun-loving youngster in them!

In October 2004, Abram launched his career as a solo artist with the release of his debut album for Dune, Jazz Warrior featuring some of the brightest young talent on the UK scene: Nathaniel Facey (alto sax), Neil Charles (double bass), and Shaney Forbes (drums) all graduates of the acclaimed Tomorrows Warriors collective founded by veteran bassist, Gary Crosby; Andrew McCormack (piano) also a TW graduate and pivotal member of Denys Baptistes award-winning ensembles; and Patrick Clahar (tenor sax/flute), known mostly for his work with the Jazz Warriors, Incognito, and Bill Brufords Earthworks.

Abram and his band supported the release of his album with an impressive UK tour, receiving immense critical and public acclaim, with critics marking him out for major success.

Jazz Warrior resoundingly demonstrated Abrams acute sense of both tradition and changing times, and seamlessly blends jazz with hip hop, RnB and New Orleans grooves. I called the album Jazz Warrior because its about finding the inspiration and the energy to overcome any obstacles that might stand in your way as far as playing this music is concerned, he explains. You have to be a warrior to get through. Its somebody who wont stop pushing, who wont give up on the music he loves no matter what.

A highly accessible and successful crossover album with several radio-friendly tracks, Jazz Warrior was an outstanding debut for this charismatic and engaging young artist who has everything going for him: great talent, great looks, and a great vibe!

In August/September 2005, Abram was special guest with Soweto Kinchs band on a 5-date tour of the USA taking in New York (Charlie Parker Festival in Harlem and The Jazz Gallery in Manhattan), Philadelphia (Clef Club), Atlanta (the Montreux Festival in Atlanta), and Chicago (African Festival for the Arts). Due to illness, Soweto was unable to play saxophone and so played piano instead, leaving Abram to take more of a leading role on the tour. Audiences were clearly impressed as evidenced by the queues to buy his album!

In March 2006, Abram was appointed Assistant Artistic Director for Tomorrows Warriors. Working alongside the Artistic Director, Gary Crosby, Abram is now responsible not only for the companys education programme but also for the professional/artistic development of members of the companys core bands, and the live music programme.

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