{"id":17272,"date":"2026-05-12T10:12:41","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T15:12:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/?p=17272"},"modified":"2026-05-12T10:12:41","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T15:12:41","slug":"grammy-winning-trumpeter-brian-lynch-outdoes-himself","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/?p=17272","title":{"rendered":"Grammy-winning trumpeter Brian Lynch outdoes himself"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"fcbkbttn_buttons_block\" id=\"fcbkbttn_left\"><div class=\"fcbkbttn_button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Kevin Lynch\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/facebook-button-plugin\/images\/large-facebook-ico.png\" alt=\"Fb-Button\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div><div class=\"fcbkbttn_like fcbkbttn_large_button\"><fb:like href=\"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/?p=17272\" action=\"like\" colorscheme=\"light\" layout=\"button_count\"  size=\"large\"><\/fb:like><\/div><div class=\"fb-share-button fcbkbttn_large_button \" data-href=\"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/?p=17272\" data-type=\"button_count\" data-size=\"large\"><\/div><\/div><div id=\"pico\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"pagetype_article\">\n<article id=\"main\" class=\"active\">\n<header>\n<div id=\"title\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mp-lazyautosizes mp-lazyloaded\" title=\"Torch Bearers, by Brian Lynch\" src=\"https:\/\/shepherdexpress.com\/downloads\/71657\/download\/torch-bearers-by-brian-lynch.jpg?cb=ec8e8eacd649f8b5e473fa3efa196d95&amp;w=600\" sizes=\"auto, 326px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/shepherdexpress.com\/downloads\/71657\/download\/torch-bearers-by-brian-lynch.jpg?cb=ec8e8eacd649f8b5e473fa3efa196d95&amp;w=100&amp;h= 100w, https:\/\/shepherdexpress.com\/downloads\/71657\/download\/torch-bearers-by-brian-lynch.jpg?cb=ec8e8eacd649f8b5e473fa3efa196d95&amp;w=150&amp;h= 150w, https:\/\/shepherdexpress.com\/downloads\/71657\/download\/torch-bearers-by-brian-lynch.jpg?cb=ec8e8eacd649f8b5e473fa3efa196d95&amp;w=220&amp;h= 220w, https:\/\/shepherdexpress.com\/downloads\/71657\/download\/torch-bearers-by-brian-lynch.jpg?cb=ec8e8eacd649f8b5e473fa3efa196d95&amp;w=320&amp;h= 320w, https:\/\/shepherdexpress.com\/downloads\/71657\/download\/torch-bearers-by-brian-lynch.jpg?cb=ec8e8eacd649f8b5e473fa3efa196d95&amp;w=450&amp;h= 450w, https:\/\/shepherdexpress.com\/downloads\/71657\/download\/torch-bearers-by-brian-lynch.jpg?cb=ec8e8eacd649f8b5e473fa3efa196d95&amp;w=660&amp;h= 660w, https:\/\/shepherdexpress.com\/downloads\/71657\/download\/torch-bearers-by-brian-lynch.jpg?cb=ec8e8eacd649f8b5e473fa3efa196d95&amp;w=1050&amp;h= 1050w, https:\/\/shepherdexpress.com\/downloads\/71657\/download\/torch-bearers-by-brian-lynch.jpg?cb=ec8e8eacd649f8b5e473fa3efa196d95&amp;w=1500&amp;h= 1500w\" alt=\"Torch Bearers, by Brian Lynch\" width=\"600\" height=\"600\" data-widths=\"[100, 150, 220, 320, 450, 660, 1050, 1500]\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/shepherdexpress.com\/downloads\/71657\/download\/torch-bearers-by-brian-lynch.jpg?cb=ec8e8eacd649f8b5e473fa3efa196d95&amp;w=100&amp;h= 100w, https:\/\/shepherdexpress.com\/downloads\/71657\/download\/torch-bearers-by-brian-lynch.jpg?cb=ec8e8eacd649f8b5e473fa3efa196d95&amp;w=150&amp;h= 150w, https:\/\/shepherdexpress.com\/downloads\/71657\/download\/torch-bearers-by-brian-lynch.jpg?cb=ec8e8eacd649f8b5e473fa3efa196d95&amp;w=220&amp;h= 220w, https:\/\/shepherdexpress.com\/downloads\/71657\/download\/torch-bearers-by-brian-lynch.jpg?cb=ec8e8eacd649f8b5e473fa3efa196d95&amp;w=320&amp;h= 320w, https:\/\/shepherdexpress.com\/downloads\/71657\/download\/torch-bearers-by-brian-lynch.jpg?cb=ec8e8eacd649f8b5e473fa3efa196d95&amp;w=450&amp;h= 450w, https:\/\/shepherdexpress.com\/downloads\/71657\/download\/torch-bearers-by-brian-lynch.jpg?cb=ec8e8eacd649f8b5e473fa3efa196d95&amp;w=660&amp;h= 660w, https:\/\/shepherdexpress.com\/downloads\/71657\/download\/torch-bearers-by-brian-lynch.jpg?cb=ec8e8eacd649f8b5e473fa3efa196d95&amp;w=1050&amp;h= 1050w, https:\/\/shepherdexpress.com\/downloads\/71657\/download\/torch-bearers-by-brian-lynch.jpg?cb=ec8e8eacd649f8b5e473fa3efa196d95&amp;w=1500&amp;h= 1500w\" \/><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div id=\"content\" class=\"carousel content no_js\" data-transition=\"content\" data-loop=\"false\">\n<div id=\"media-carousel-94365\" class=\"media-aside \">\n<div id=\"media-thumb-94365-1\" class=\"gallery_slide single\">\n<div id=\"ms-slide-94365-0\">\n<div id=\"ms_94365-0\" class=\"file \" data-slot-media-path=\"\/api\/slot_media\/100500\/\" data-slot_type=\"file\">\n<div class=\"play slides_overlay\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"media-content\"><em style=\"color: #000000; font-weight: bold;\">Torch Bearers<\/em><span style=\"color: #000000; font-weight: bold;\">, by Brian Lynch\u00a0(Hollistic Musicworks)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<header>\n<div id=\"pageinfos\" class=\"pageinfos\"><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div id=\"content\" class=\"carousel content no_js\" data-transition=\"content\" data-loop=\"false\">\n<div>\n<div id=\"media-carousel-94365\" class=\"media-aside \">\n<div id=\"media-thumb-94365-1\" class=\"gallery_slide single\">\n<div id=\"ms-slide-94365-0\">\n<div class=\"media-options\">Milwaukee-native Lynch has traveled various paths to the mountaintop of his art form.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The trumpeter-composer forged his own route up with his conceptually and musically loaded big band album\u00a0<i>The Omni-American Book Club<\/i>\u00a0which earned him his second Grammy Award. His first came from improvising a climb from the Latin side of the mountain, in collaboration with the great pianist Eddie Palmieri. Such efforts take courage and imagination, I know, as a\u00a0now-disabled piano player and\u00a0former mountain climber.<\/p>\n<p>His third Grammy, last year, was as co-producer, helping loft the sultry, soaring wings of Samara Joy, perhaps the hottest jazz singer alive today. 1<\/p>\n<p>Knowing a good thing, Lynch features Joy here on two original songs which speak aplenty about this recording\u2019s radiance. It might be the most beguilingly beautiful album Lynch has ever made, and as good any of his, and that makes 26 as a leader! Annotator Ted Panken claims\u00a0<i>Torch\u00a0<\/i>\u201can inflection point \u2013 a manifesto affirming the vitality of hard-core jazz\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<div id=\"__bs_rotation_182791_478048\">\n<div id=\"__bs_rotation_182791_1391973_478048\">\u00a0Lynch and mates bear the torch for many bop giants including the one present, alto sax \u201cguru\u201d Charles McPherson, who is what Lynch would call an \u201cunsung hero,\u201d despite a quietly auspicious career, including 12 years with the titanic Charles Mingus.<\/div>\n<div><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/GHeBIrAiJu8\/maxresdefault.jpg\" alt=\"Brian Lynch - Charles McPherson - Samara Joy Kickstarter Campaign ...\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><em>Charles McPherson (left, foreground) and Brian Lynch. YouTube.com<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The trumpeter has always possessed an uncommon gift for constructing melodious improv but outdoes himself on <i>Torch Bearers<\/i>. Time and again, his solos unfurl like bounteous wreaths of lyricism, strung with the enchanting logic of vintage storytelling. This is partly due to the winning material, mostly written by himself, and largely medium tempos. For example, on the snappy Jazz Messengers-like opener \u201cLuck of the Draw,\u201d his solo\u2019s relaxed swinging effortlessly transcends the title\u2019s risky implications, a rightness of shapely chord changing. McPherson displays similar gifts throughout, if a bit edgier style.<\/p>\n<p>Even on the harder-swinging boppers \u201cLuminescence,\u201d \u201cThe Juggler\u201d and Dizzy Gillespie\u2019s \u201cBlue N\u2019 Boogie,\u201d the two hornists remain Birds in frolicsome mid-air play, always amazing to see. Finally, the pair alternates several solos each on the gorgeous extended reading of the one standard, \u201cBut Beautiful,\u201d the album\u2019s climax, which sounds like a slow sunset of many shadows, from a mountaintop.<\/p>\n<p>On her two songs (\u201cPursuit of a Dream\u201d and \u201cThe Joy of Love\u201d) Joy endows the latter\u2019s bittersweet lyric with chocolatey suppleness recalling the magisterial Sarah Vaughan, by melting big intervals into pure azure. She thrills as few but Sassy could, though in a somewhat higher register.<\/p>\n<div id=\"__bs_rotation_182791_993570\">\n<div id=\"__bs_rotation_182791_1391973_993570\">Though their first recording together, Lynch has known his sax compadre (and sterling pianist Rob Schneiderman) since 1980, when he moved from Milwaukee to San Diego. Thus, the album\u2019s sly, genial sagacity, as if these torch bearers light the way on an upward-bound mystery tour for you to solve in time, by listening.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3OTkfSG\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" aria-label=\"Link opens in new window (Get )\">Get\u00a0<em>Torch Bearers<\/em>\u00a0on Amazon here.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>_______<\/p>\n<p><strong>This review was originally published in <em>Shepherd Express:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/shepherdexpress.com\/music\/album-reviews\/torch-bearers-by-brian-lynch\/\">https:\/\/shepherdexpress.com\/music\/album-reviews\/torch-bearers-by-brian-lynch\/<\/a><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>For my money, Lynch should have been a serious contender for his second Grammy for his 2016 two-album set, <em>Madera Latino: a Latin Jazz Perspective on the Music of Woody Shaw.<\/em> With it\u2019s dazzling multiple trumpet arrangements of the music of the prematurely lost trumpet great, \u201cmy musical hero,\u201d Lynch shed innovative Afro-Caribbean light on this still-underappreciated body of music. His collaborators included trumpeters Dave Douglas, Sean Jones and Philip Dizack, and drummer Obed Calvaire.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"mp-html\">\n<table class=\"become-a-friend-table\" style=\"height: 140px;\" width=\"529\" align=\"center\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<aside class=\"tags\"><\/aside>\n<aside id=\"bottompageinfos\" class=\"pageinfos\">\n<div class=\"author\">\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/platform-cdn.sharethis.com\/img\/email.svg\" alt=\"email sharing button\" \/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside class=\"tools\">\n<div class=\"share\">\n<div id=\"st-1\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons st-left st-inline-share-buttons st-animated\">\n<div class=\"st-btn st-remove-label\" data-network=\"facebook\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/platform-cdn.sharethis.com\/img\/facebook.svg\" alt=\"facebook sharing button\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"st-btn st-remove-label\" data-network=\"linkedin\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/platform-cdn.sharethis.com\/img\/linkedin.svg\" alt=\"linkedin sharing button\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"st-btn st-remove-label\" data-network=\"reddit\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/platform-cdn.sharethis.com\/img\/reddit.svg\" alt=\"reddit sharing button\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"st-btn st-remove-label\" data-network=\"tumblr\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/platform-cdn.sharethis.com\/img\/tumblr.svg\" alt=\"tumblr sharing button\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside id=\"comments\">\n<h3 id=\"comment_title\"><\/h3>\n<p><input id=\"fake_subject_field\" name=\"Subject\" type=\"text\" value=\"Type subject here...\" \/><\/p>\n<div id=\"c_new_thread\">\n<div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/article>\n<aside id=\"side\" class=\"active\">\n<div id=\"__bs_rotation_182773_296199\">\n<div id=\"__bs_rotation_182773_1391969_296199\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"d8a716a6-4e0e-11f1-b83f-122c31cd35ab\" class=\"mp-ad-sprocket \"><\/div>\n<div class=\"mp-html\">\n<div class=\"mp-finder2 become-a-friend-small-with-button\">\n<div class=\"mp-finder-wrapper2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mp-html\">\n<div class=\"cityspark-widget-container\">\n<div data-cswidget=\"11242\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"csGWrap csBackground\" data-v-4ca18318=\"\">\n<div class=\"csCol csCol1\" data-v-4ca18318=\"\">\n<div class=\"cs_head\" data-v-4ca18318=\"\">\n<div class=\"csColHead\" data-v-4ca18318=\"\">\n<hr data-v-4ca18318=\"\" \/>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"csEventAll\" data-v-4ca18318=\"\">\n<section class=\"hooper\" tabindex=\"0\" data-v-4ca18318=\"\">\n<div class=\"hooper-list\">\n<ul class=\"hooper-track\">\n<li class=\"hooper-slide is-prev\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"csErap\" data-v-45c6710a=\"\" data-v-4ca18318=\"\"><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"hooper-navigation\" data-v-4ca18318=\"\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"hooper-liveregion hooper-sr-only\" aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">I<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"__bs_rotation_182774_195608\">\n<div id=\"__bs_rotation_182774_1391970_195608\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div><\/div>\n<div id=\"bottom\">\n<div id=\"bottomads\">\n<div id=\"__bs_rotation_182772_806804\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; Torch Bearers, by Brian Lynch\u00a0(Hollistic Musicworks) Milwaukee-native Lynch has traveled various paths to the mountaintop of his art form. The trumpeter-composer forged his own route up with his conceptually and musically loaded big band album\u00a0The Omni-American Book Club\u00a0which earned &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/?p=17272\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[139,1416,1132,136,1760,2825,2823,2821,2820,1562,2824,2822],"class_list":["post-17272","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-www-kevernacular-com","tag-brian-lynch","tag-charles-mcpherson","tag-charles-mingus","tag-dizzy-gillespie","tag-jazz-messengers","tag-madera-latino-a-latin-jazz-perspective-on-the-music-of-woody-shaw","tag-omni-american-book-club","tag-rob-schneiderman","tag-samara-joy","tag-sarah-vaughan","tag-ted-panken","tag-torch-bearers"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2hJWE-4uA","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17272","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=17272"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17272\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17276,"href":"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17272\/revisions\/17276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=17272"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=17272"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kevernacular.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=17272"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}