honey from a winter stone

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Composer and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire’s album honey from a winter stone, which he calls a “self-portrait,” features improvisational vocalist Kokayi, pianist Sam Harris, Chiquitamagic on synthesizer, drummer Justin Brown, and the Mivos Quartet. “For arguably the most technically gifted trumpeter of his generation, a lot of Ambrose Akinmusire’s breakthroughs actually come from letting go of standards and structures," says the New York Times. "Lately Akinmusire has been making some of the most intimate, spellbinding music of his career.”

Description

Composer and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire’s honey from a winter stone is out January 31, 2025, on Nonesuch Records. The album, which Ambrose calls a “self-portrait,” features improvisational vocalist Kokayi, pianist Sam Harris, Chiquitamagic on synthesizer, drummer Justin Brown, and the Mivos Quartet (violinist Olivia Deprato and Maya Bennardo, violist Victor Lowrie Tafoya, cellist Tyler Borden). Akinmusire says, “In many respects this entire work is inspired by and is an homage to the work of the composer Julius Eastman and his organic music concept." The opening track, “muffled screams,” can be heard here:

“This album is about the fears and struggles I personally face, as well as those many Black men endure: colorism, erasure, and the question of who gets to speak for my community, and why,” Akinmusire explains. “There’s also the constant negotiation of what happens when I don’t conform to certain expectations or when I choose to reject those imposed on me. These are the complexities I navigate daily. 

“When I made this album, I was thinking about others who face these same struggles,” he continues. “I’m always considering who I represent—on all levels, in all the roles I play within my various communities. It’s about understanding the weight of those roles and the responsibility that comes with them.”

On the track “muffled screams,” Akinmusire reflects, “It emerged from a near-death experience, which I survived because I wanted to be alive to protect my son. Kokayi improvised the lyrics based on personal stories I shared with him.”

“Some of these ideas didn’t require direct conversation,” he adds. “The experience is so universally understood that words become unnecessary. Kokayi’s approach is pure improvisation, ensuring each performance is unique. I don’t simply view him as a rapper—he’s an instrument in his own right. The way he interacts with rhythm, rapping in harmony with the chords, brings a dynamic and profound quality to the music every time.”

The New York Times has said: “For arguably the most technically gifted trumpeter of his generation, a lot of Ambrose Akinmusire’s breakthroughs actually come from letting go of standards and structures … Lately Akinmusire has been making some of the most intimate, spellbinding music of his career.”

DownBeat has said: "Akinmusire has created music with a deep, soulful thoughtfulness and purpose that stretches boundaries and pulls at the heartstrings.” 

During his career, Ambrose Akinmusire has paradoxically situated himself in both the center and the periphery of jazz, most recently emerging in classical and hip-hop circles. He is on a perpetual quest for new paradigms, masterfully weaving inspiration from other genres, arts, and life in general into compositions that are as poetic and graceful as they are bold and unflinching. His unorthodox approach to sound and composition make him a regular on critics’ polls and have earned him grants and commissions from the Doris Duke Foundation, the MAP Fund, the Kennedy Center, The Berlin Jazz Festival, and the Monterey Jazz. While Akinmusire continues to garner accolades, his reach is always beyond—himself, his instrument, genre, form, preconceived notions, and anything else imposing limitations.

Motivated primarily by the spiritual and practical value of art, Akinmusire wants to remove the wall of erudition surrounding his music. He aspires to create richly textured emotional landscapes that tell the stories of the community, record the time, and change the standard. While committed to continuing the lineage of Black invention and innovation, he manages to honor tradition without being stifled by it.

Akinmusire is a rigorous practitioner with an uncompromising dedication to creation. “I’ve learned to accept the consequences of believing in invention and creativity. You’re gonna be misunderstood. But my horse blinders have gotten a lot longer and a lot thicker over the years.”

In 2010, Ambrose Akinmusire was signed to Blue Note Records; his debut for the label, When the Heart Emerges Glistening, drew worldwide accolades. The Los Angeles Times observed that “Akinmusire sounds less like a rising star than one that was already at great heights and just waiting to be discovered.” Akinmusire’s first Nonesuch release, 2023’s Owl Song, was recently nominated for a Best Jazz Instrumental Album Grammy Award and received critical praise, with the Guardian calling it a “beautiful trio album … As befits the title, Owl Song doesn’t raise its voice much, but what it quietly says is joyously vivid, even spine-tingling.”

ProductionCredits

PRODUCTION CREDITS
Produced by Ambrose Akinmusire
Recorded May 21, 2023 at the Terrarium, Minneapolis, MN
Engineered by Jason Orris
Mixed by Adam Munoz at Opus Studios Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
Mastered by Dave Darlington in New York, NY

All compositions by Ambrose Akinmusire
Lyrics by C. Walker (1), and Kokayi (3-5)

Design and Layout by Jeremiah Chiu
Photography by David Haskell

Album Status
Artist Name
Ambrose Akinmusire
MusicianDetails

MUSICIANS
Ambrose Akinmusire, trumpet (1-5)
Kokayi, vocals (1, 3-5)
Sam Harris, piano (1-5)
Chiquitamagic, synthesizers (1-5)
Justin Brown, drums (1-5)

Mivos Quartet (1-5)
Olivia Deprato, violin
Maya Bennardo, violin
Victor Lowrie Tafoya, viola
Tyler Borden, cello
 

reissues?
new-release
Cover Art
UPC/Price
Label
CD+MP3
Price
13.00
UPC
075597897715
Label
44/24 HD FLAC
UPC
075597897692
Label
MP3
UPC
075597905960

News & Reviews

  • Composer and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire’s honey from a winter stone is out January 31, 2025, on Nonesuch Records. The album, which Ambrose calls a “self-portrait,” features improvisational vocalist Kokayi, pianist Sam Harris, Chiquitamagic on synthesizer, drummer Justin Brown, and the Mivos Quartet. Akinmusire says, “In many respects this entire work is inspired by and is an homage to the work of the composer Julius Eastman and his organic music concept." The opening track, “muffled screams,” is out now.

     

  • Congratulations to all of the Nonesuch nominees for the 67th Grammy Awards: The Black Keys for Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for "Beautiful People (Stay High)," from Ohio Players; Ambrose Akinmusire's Owl Song for Best Jazz Instrumental Album; John Adams's Girls of the Golden West for Best Opera Recording and Best Engineered Album, Classical; Timo Andres's The Blind Banister for Best Engineered Album, Classical; and Caroline Shaw and Sō Percussion's Rectangles and Circumstance for Best Chamber Music / Small Ensemble Performance.

Buy Now

  • About This Album

    Composer and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire’s honey from a winter stone is out January 31, 2025, on Nonesuch Records. The album, which Ambrose calls a “self-portrait,” features improvisational vocalist Kokayi, pianist Sam Harris, Chiquitamagic on synthesizer, drummer Justin Brown, and the Mivos Quartet (violinist Olivia Deprato and Maya Bennardo, violist Victor Lowrie Tafoya, cellist Tyler Borden). Akinmusire says, “In many respects this entire work is inspired by and is an homage to the work of the composer Julius Eastman and his organic music concept." The opening track, “muffled screams,” can be heard here:

    “This album is about the fears and struggles I personally face, as well as those many Black men endure: colorism, erasure, and the question of who gets to speak for my community, and why,” Akinmusire explains. “There’s also the constant negotiation of what happens when I don’t conform to certain expectations or when I choose to reject those imposed on me. These are the complexities I navigate daily. 

    “When I made this album, I was thinking about others who face these same struggles,” he continues. “I’m always considering who I represent—on all levels, in all the roles I play within my various communities. It’s about understanding the weight of those roles and the responsibility that comes with them.”

    On the track “muffled screams,” Akinmusire reflects, “It emerged from a near-death experience, which I survived because I wanted to be alive to protect my son. Kokayi improvised the lyrics based on personal stories I shared with him.”

    “Some of these ideas didn’t require direct conversation,” he adds. “The experience is so universally understood that words become unnecessary. Kokayi’s approach is pure improvisation, ensuring each performance is unique. I don’t simply view him as a rapper—he’s an instrument in his own right. The way he interacts with rhythm, rapping in harmony with the chords, brings a dynamic and profound quality to the music every time.”

    The New York Times has said: “For arguably the most technically gifted trumpeter of his generation, a lot of Ambrose Akinmusire’s breakthroughs actually come from letting go of standards and structures … Lately Akinmusire has been making some of the most intimate, spellbinding music of his career.”

    DownBeat has said: "Akinmusire has created music with a deep, soulful thoughtfulness and purpose that stretches boundaries and pulls at the heartstrings.” 

    During his career, Ambrose Akinmusire has paradoxically situated himself in both the center and the periphery of jazz, most recently emerging in classical and hip-hop circles. He is on a perpetual quest for new paradigms, masterfully weaving inspiration from other genres, arts, and life in general into compositions that are as poetic and graceful as they are bold and unflinching. His unorthodox approach to sound and composition make him a regular on critics’ polls and have earned him grants and commissions from the Doris Duke Foundation, the MAP Fund, the Kennedy Center, The Berlin Jazz Festival, and the Monterey Jazz. While Akinmusire continues to garner accolades, his reach is always beyond—himself, his instrument, genre, form, preconceived notions, and anything else imposing limitations.

    Motivated primarily by the spiritual and practical value of art, Akinmusire wants to remove the wall of erudition surrounding his music. He aspires to create richly textured emotional landscapes that tell the stories of the community, record the time, and change the standard. While committed to continuing the lineage of Black invention and innovation, he manages to honor tradition without being stifled by it.

    Akinmusire is a rigorous practitioner with an uncompromising dedication to creation. “I’ve learned to accept the consequences of believing in invention and creativity. You’re gonna be misunderstood. But my horse blinders have gotten a lot longer and a lot thicker over the years.”

    In 2010, Ambrose Akinmusire was signed to Blue Note Records; his debut for the label, When the Heart Emerges Glistening, drew worldwide accolades. The Los Angeles Times observed that “Akinmusire sounds less like a rising star than one that was already at great heights and just waiting to be discovered.” Akinmusire’s first Nonesuch release, 2023’s Owl Song, was recently nominated for a Best Jazz Instrumental Album Grammy Award and received critical praise, with the Guardian calling it a “beautiful trio album … As befits the title, Owl Song doesn’t raise its voice much, but what it quietly says is joyously vivid, even spine-tingling.”

    Credits

    MUSICIANS
    Ambrose Akinmusire, trumpet (1-5)
    Kokayi, vocals (1, 3-5)
    Sam Harris, piano (1-5)
    Chiquitamagic, synthesizers (1-5)
    Justin Brown, drums (1-5)

    Mivos Quartet (1-5)
    Olivia Deprato, violin
    Maya Bennardo, violin
    Victor Lowrie Tafoya, viola
    Tyler Borden, cello
     

    PRODUCTION CREDITS
    Produced by Ambrose Akinmusire
    Recorded May 21, 2023 at the Terrarium, Minneapolis, MN
    Engineered by Jason Orris
    Mixed by Adam Munoz at Opus Studios Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
    Mastered by Dave Darlington in New York, NY

    All compositions by Ambrose Akinmusire
    Lyrics by C. Walker (1), and Kokayi (3-5)

    Design and Layout by Jeremiah Chiu
    Photography by David Haskell