Irvin Mayfield

Biography

Irvin Mayfield Jr. was born in 1977 in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has established himself as a leading figure in contemporary jazz and a custodian of the New Orleans jazz tradition.[1][3] He received his first trumpet in the fourth grade and learned "Just A Closer Walk With Thee" as his first piece, later performing with the Algiers Brass Band starting in the late 1980s.[1][2] After graduating from the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA) in 1995, Mayfield turned down a scholarship to Juilliard School of Music to study at the University of New Orleans under the mentorship of jazz pianist Ellis Marsalis, though he dropped out during his first semester.[2][4] This decision proved formative, as it kept him rooted in New Orleans' musical culture while allowing him to develop his distinctive style.

Mayfield's career encompasses multiple significant achievements as a performer, composer, bandleader, and educator.[3][4] In 1998, he co-founded Los Hombres Calientes, an Afro-Cuban jazz band that won Billboard's Latin Music Award for Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year for their debut CD.[4] More significantly, in 2002, Mayfield founded the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra (NOJO), a sixteen-piece nonprofit ensemble dedicated to performing and promoting New Orleans jazz, which won a Grammy Award for Best Large Jazz Ensemble in 2010 for its album "Book One."[1][2][4] He also established the Institute of Jazz Culture at Dillard University in 2002 and has served as an artist-in-residence since 1995.[1] Mayfield won a Grammy Award at age 32 and was nominated by both Presidents Bush and Obama to serve as the youngest member of the National Council of the Arts.[4]

Beyond performance, Mayfield has positioned himself as a cultural ambassador for New Orleans, teaching "New Orleans as Discourse" at the University of New Orleans and owning two jazz clubs.[5] He has composed significant works including "Strange Fruit," a 90-minute opus set in 1920s Louisiana, and has performed at prestigious venues including Carnegie Hall, the Sydney Jazz Festival, and the North Sea Jazz Festival.[2] His artistic vision integrates music with broader cultural and political contexts, reflecting his commitment to jazz as a vehicle for education and social understanding.[1]

Fun Facts

• Mayfield formed his first band, the Algiers Brass Band, at age fourteen and signed his first recording contract at age twenty.[4]
• He shared an apartment in New York City with Wynton Marsalis in the late 1990s, during a formative period of his career.[1]
• Mayfield composed a 90-minute operatic work titled "Strange Fruit" set in 1920s Louisiana, inspired by a visit to the photographic exhibit 'Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America' in Atlanta in 2002.[1]
• In 2017, Mayfield was indicted for money laundering related to funds from the New Orleans Library following a two-year investigation.[1]

Associated Acts

• Los Hombres Calientes (1998–present)
• Irvin Mayfield Sextet - original
• Irvin Mayfield Quintet
• The Quintet - trumpet
• New Orleans Jazz Orchestra

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Ellis Marsalis - Jazz pianist and mentor at University of New Orleans Jazz Studies program (Collaborated on album 'Love Songs, Ballads and Standards' (2008)) [1995 onwards]

Key Collaborators

• Jason Marsalis - Drummer and co-founder of Los Hombres Calientes (Los Hombres Calientes (debut CD won Billboard Latin Music Award)) [1998 onwards]
• Bill Summers - Percussionist and co-founder of Los Hombres Calientes (Los Hombres Calientes) [1998 onwards]
• Wynton Marsalis - Shared apartment in New York City in late 1990s; collaborated on Hurricane Katrina relief benefit (Higher Ground Hurricane Relief Benefit Concert) [Late 1990s, 2005]
• Victor Atkins - Pianist in New Orleans Jazz Orchestra (New Orleans Jazz Orchestra performances and recordings) [2015 onwards]
• Ed 'Sweetbread' Petersen - Saxophonist in New Orleans Jazz Orchestra (New Orleans Jazz Orchestra performances and recordings) [2015 onwards]

Artists Influenced

• Students at Dillard University and University of New Orleans - Through teaching at Institute of Jazz Culture and as professor; Saturday Music School for ages 8-17 (Educational programs, jazz curriculum development) [2002 onwards]

External Links

• Spotify
• Wikipedia
• MusicBrainz

Tags: #dixieland, #jazz, #post-bop