Background
Canadian Grammy Award winning trumpet player Darren Barrett was born to Jamaican parents.
Canadian Grammy Award winning trumpet player Darren Barrett was born to Jamaican parents.
Bachelor in Professional Music from Berklee College of Music, 1990
Master of Arts in Jazz Performance from Queens College, 1993
Mississippi in Music from Queens College, 1995
Diploma in Jazz Performance from the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, 1997.
Darren remembers that, “the first time I heard Miles Davis was on the record ‘Round About Midnight, and when I heard Miles’ sound and approach, I knew that the instrument I wanted to play was the trumpet.” He went on to receive an Master of Arts in Jazz Performance in 1993, and an Mississippi in Music from Queens College in 1995. lieutenant was there that he came under the influence of Doctor Donald Byrd, who became something of a father figure for the young trumpeter. Barrett went on to release his first album as a bandleader, First One Up, in 1999, followed by Deelings in 2001, The Attack of Wren: Wrenaissance Volume 1 in 2004, and A Very Barrett Christmas in 2011.
He has most recently released Energy In Motion: The Music Of The Bee Gees (2014) and Live And Direct 2014.
Barrett has performed or recorded with Elvin Jones, Jackie McLean, Herbie Hancock, Roy Hargrove Big Band, Common, Will.i.am, Talib Kweli, Esperanza Spalding and Antonio Hart, among others Barrett is currently an Associate Professor in the ensembles and brass department at his alma mater, Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts.
"I"m working on my craft, trying to be as professional and proficient as I can be. I"m just trying to reach people with my music, trying to concentrate on myself as a performer, bandleader and composer.
I have many different bands but they all give me the musical platform to pursue anything possible.
I want to continue exploring music and the trumpet by being open to the gamut of creativity, incorporating electronics into live shows, and realizing that one must have a great product and a great live show. These are my key principles.”.
