Jean Toussaint first gained widespread recognition through his tenure in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers from 1982 to 1986. His path there followed early local performances of calypso in St. Thomas, studies at the Berklee College of Music, a 1979 tour alongside an R&B ensemble, and the formation of a quintet alongside Wallace Roney. Terence Blanchard and Donald Harrison shared the bandstand with him during those same years under Blakey. Once he departed the Jazz Messengers, Toussaint launched a teaching career in London, where he has remained, performing primarily with British players while making select appearances with Wynton Marsalis, McCoy Tyner, and the Gil Evans Orchestra. Shaped by the styles of Wayne Shorter and Joe Henderson, he continues to display potential that exceeds his recorded output to date.
