Biography
Trained in a fusion of contemporary jazz, New Orleans traditions, and Afro-Caribbean folk forms, trumpeter Etienne Charles rose during the 2000s by transplanting the rhythmic language of his Trinidad birthplace into the wider post-bop landscape. After earning degrees from Florida State University and the Juilliard School, he secured early opportunities alongside Marcus Roberts, Wynton Marsalis, Eric Reed, the Count Basie Orchestra, and additional leading figures. In addition to issuing the vibrant recordings Folklore in 2009 and Creole Soul in 2013, Charles serves as assistant professor in Michigan State University’s College of Music.
Charles entered the world in Trinidad in 1983, descending from a musical lineage that stretches back four generations. His grandfather, Ralph Charles, a respected cuatro stylist featured on the Growling Tiger recordings, instructed him on that instrument, while his initial professional engagements occurred inside his father Francis’ forward-looking steel-drum group Phase II Pan Groove. Charles adopted the trumpet in earnest during his early teenage years. At Fatima College he captured multiple prizes, becoming the first musician to win the Provincial Cup three times and the youngest recipient in its history. He completed a Bachelor of Arts at Florida State University under jazz pianist Marcus Roberts and was named Brautlecht Scholar of the College of Music. In 2008 he obtained a Master of Music from Juilliard, where he received the William Schuman Prize, and he also studied at the Henry Mancini Institute in Los Angeles. Stage experience accumulated through appearances with Wynton Marsalis, Monty Alexander, Gerald Wilson, Roberta Flack, Frank Foster, the Count Basie Orchestra, Maria Schneider, Johnny Mandel, and Benny Golson.
Charles claimed first place in the Jazz Division of the National Trumpet Competition in 2006. That year his debut album Culture Shock surfaced to favorable notices, featuring sidemen Ronny Jordan, Roberts, Vincent Gardner, and Ralph MacDonald. By the release of Folklore in 2009 he had assembled his own touring and recording ensemble. In 2011 he joined the faculty of Michigan State University’s College of Music as assistant professor and issued his third album, Kaiso. Creole Soul followed in July 2013; shortly afterward he received the Caribbean Heritage Trailblazer Award from the Institute of Caribbean Studies and, in 2015, a Guggenheim Fellowship. Guest appearances on recordings by Somi, Ben Williams, and René Marie preceded the arrival of his own Carnival: The Sound of a People, Vol. 1 in 2019.
Charles entered the world in Trinidad in 1983, descending from a musical lineage that stretches back four generations. His grandfather, Ralph Charles, a respected cuatro stylist featured on the Growling Tiger recordings, instructed him on that instrument, while his initial professional engagements occurred inside his father Francis’ forward-looking steel-drum group Phase II Pan Groove. Charles adopted the trumpet in earnest during his early teenage years. At Fatima College he captured multiple prizes, becoming the first musician to win the Provincial Cup three times and the youngest recipient in its history. He completed a Bachelor of Arts at Florida State University under jazz pianist Marcus Roberts and was named Brautlecht Scholar of the College of Music. In 2008 he obtained a Master of Music from Juilliard, where he received the William Schuman Prize, and he also studied at the Henry Mancini Institute in Los Angeles. Stage experience accumulated through appearances with Wynton Marsalis, Monty Alexander, Gerald Wilson, Roberta Flack, Frank Foster, the Count Basie Orchestra, Maria Schneider, Johnny Mandel, and Benny Golson.
Charles claimed first place in the Jazz Division of the National Trumpet Competition in 2006. That year his debut album Culture Shock surfaced to favorable notices, featuring sidemen Ronny Jordan, Roberts, Vincent Gardner, and Ralph MacDonald. By the release of Folklore in 2009 he had assembled his own touring and recording ensemble. In 2011 he joined the faculty of Michigan State University’s College of Music as assistant professor and issued his third album, Kaiso. Creole Soul followed in July 2013; shortly afterward he received the Caribbean Heritage Trailblazer Award from the Institute of Caribbean Studies and, in 2015, a Guggenheim Fellowship. Guest appearances on recordings by Somi, Ben Williams, and René Marie preceded the arrival of his own Carnival: The Sound of a People, Vol. 1 in 2019.
Albums
Singles
