Etienne Charles

Born: July 24, 1983

Trinidad born Etienne Charles is a performer, composer and storyteller, who is continuously searching for untold stories and sounds with which to tell them.

His lush trumpet sound, varied compositional textures and pulsating percussive grooves enable him to invoke trance, soothing and exciting listeners while referencing touchy and sometimes controversial subjects in his music.

A 2015 Guggenheim Fellow and 2022 Creative Capital Awardee, he researches his compositions by travelling to the regions on which he is focused, meeting with musicians and cultural leaders then observing and participating in rituals to be fully immersed into the cultures that he is studying.

Some Days Are Better: The Lost Scores

By John Daversa

Label: Greenleaf Music
Released: 2025
Track listing: Smatta; Some Days Are Better Suite; Dallab; Sweet Yakity Waltz; D.G.S.; Song for Someone; C.P.E.P.; Who��s Standing in My Corner; Introduction to No Particular Song; Some Doors Are Better Open; Everybody Knows It.

Gullah Roots

By Etienne Charles

Label: Culture Shock Music
Released: 2025
Track listing: Gullah Roots; Bilali; Watch Night I; Watch Night II; Weeping Time; Gullypso (merikin); Igbo Landing I; Igbo Landing II; Kumbaya

Sharon Mansur, Patricia Brennan, Amina Claudine Myers, Samuel Ber & More

by Ludovico Granvassu
September 12, 2025

In this week's installment of our sonic journey around the jazz world, we begin with the North Africa-North America express, driven by Trinidadian trumpet maestro Etienne Charles, and end with Brad Mehldau's reimagining of the music of Elliott Smith. Happy listening! Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme (feat. Ted Nash & ...

Joe Farnsworth, Snorre Kirk, Alex Sipiagin, Tom Gershwin and more

by Benjamin Boddie
August 29, 2025

Today's Music--Right Now! Fantastic music by Joe Farnsworth, Sam Dillon, Etienne Charles, Tyreek McDole, Cory Weeds, Jimmy Greene, Snorre Kirk, Ryan Keberle, Mike Freeman, Brandee Younger, Michael Dease, Alex Sipiagin, Steve Allee, Vladimir Kostadinovic, Lauren Henderson, Mark Winkler, Gregory Tardy, Tom Gershwin, Tyler Henderson, Jim Witzel, Jonathan Moritz, Airmen Of Note, Art Hirahara, and more.

Tom Gershwin, Jim Witzel, Jonathan Moritz, Jennifer Madsen and more

by Benjamin Boddie
August 20, 2025

Today's Music--Right Now! Fantastic music by Tom Gershwin, Tyler Henderson, Tyreek McDole, Jim Witzel, Jonathan Moritz, Jennifer Madsen, Airmen Of Note, Art Hirahara, NYO Jazz, Etienne Charles, Alex Sipiagin, Joe Farnsworth, Dwight Trible, Greg Chako, Mike Clark & Mike Zilber, Danny Grissett, Naama, Ben Sidran, Benny Benack III, Nicole Glover, Alan Broadbent, Jacob Chung, Mark Winkler, ...

Alex Sipiagin, Vladimir Kostadinovic, Lauren Henderson, Ark Ovrutski and more

by Benjamin Boddie
August 14, 2025

Today's Music--Right Now! Fantastic music by Alex Sipiagin, Steve Allee, Vladimir Kostadinovic, Lauren Henderson, Ark Ovrutski, Kevin Brunkhorst, Markus Rutz, Mark Winkler, Melissa Kassel & Tom Zicarelli, Gregory Tardy, Greg Murphy, Jimmy Greene, Juanjo Lopez, Tyreek McDole, Ron Rieder, Ryan Keberle, Art Hirahara, Carrie Jackson, Michael Dease, Saul Dautch, Cory Weeds & Jerry Weldon, Alan Broadbent, ...

Snorre Kirk, Ryan Keberle, Mike Freeman, Sinne Eeg and more

by Benjamin Boddie
August 7, 2025

Today's Music--Right Now! Fantastic music by Snorre Kirk, Ryan Keberle's Collective, Mike Freeman ZonaVibe, Sinne Eeg & Jacob Christoffersen, Bob Schlesinger, Brandee Younger, Neff Irizarry, Lauren Scales, Emma Smith, Marcello Carelli, Michael Dease, Etienne Charles, Sam Dillon, Joe Farnsworth, Allan Harris, Cory Weeds & Jerry Weldon, Antonio Adolfo, Mike Thompson, Marilyn Kleinberg, Benny Benack III, Greg ...

Joe Farnsworth, Sam Dillon, Etienne Charles, Cory Weeds and more

by Benjamin Boddie
July 31, 2025

Today's Music--Right Now! Fantastic music by Joe Farnsworth, Sam Dillon, Etienne Charles, Tyreek McDole, Cory Weeds, Sarah Wilson, Peter Lin & AAPI Jazz Collective, Ola Annabel/Nicolas Meier, NYO Jazz, Jimme Greene, Jordan VanHemert, Alan Broadbent, Antonio Adolfo, Ana?s Reno, Dave Anderson, Gabriel Latchin, Danny Grissett, Atlantic Jazz Collective, Gregory Tady, Greg Murphy, John Clayton, Nicole Glover, ...

A Few of My Favorite 2025 Jazz Things (So Far), Part 1

by Ludovico Granvassu
July 22, 2025

It seems like we were just ringing in the New Year a few days ago, and now it's already July. So let's start looking back at the songs that we have loved the most in the first six months of the year. Here's the first batch.Happy listening!Playlist Ben Allison “Mondo Jazz Theme ...