Irvin Mayfield
Irvin Mayfield is a recent addition to the New Orleans trumpet legacy of Louis Armstrong, Wynton Marsalis, Terence Blanchard and Nicholas Payton. Mr. Mayfield was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, and studied music at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA). Mr. Mayfield performs and composes both jazz and classical music. He teaches classical and jazz trumpet and has taught workshops and master classes at Loyola University New Orleans, the University of New Orleans, the University of North Carolina, and Chandler Jazz Festival.
Mr. Mayfield has performed with an impressive array of musicians, including Wynton Marsalis, Nicholas Payton, Terence Blanchard, Quincy Jones, Chucho Valdes, Ani DiFranco, Doc Cheatham, and Ellis Marsalis. He has performed worldwide and has appeared at jazz festivals and clubs throughout the United State, Europe, Japan, Central and South America.
Mr. Mayfield is the leader of Los Hombres Calientes, a modern jazz collaboration between Irvin and Bill Summers, which incorporates Cuban, African and South American rhythmical influences. In 1998 and 1999 Los Hombres Calientes' self-titled debut album and in 2000 Los Hombres Calientes: Volume Two were the top selling albums at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. In 2000, Los Hombres Calientes’ debut CD was awarded Billboard's Latin Music Award for Contemporary Latin Jazz Album of the Year.
In 1999, Mr. Mayfield released two significant recordings. The Irvin Mayfield Sextet: Live at the Blue Note, his debut CD on the Blue Note's Half Note label, is a recording of jazz standards. Produced by Delfeayo Marsalis, who also plays on the CD, the album features Impulse recording artist Eric Reed and Atlantic recording artist Wess Anderson. Mr. Mayfield also released a self-titled debut CD of original music on Basin Street Records, which was produced by Delfeayo Marsalis and featured Donald Harrison, Jr. and Ellis Marsalis.
In early 2000, Mr. Mayfield released Los Hombres Calientes: Volume Two and Jaz Sawyer/Irvin Mayfield 20/20: Live at the Blue Note. The second Los Hombres Calientes album addressed Afro-Cuban musical traditions within a range of musical forms, including jazz, samba, and tango. The Blue Note recording is a compilation of standards by Irvin Mayfield and drummer Jaz Sawyer.
Mr. Mayfield's upcoming releases in 2001 will include a second CD of original music on Basin Street Records and Half Past Autumn, his musical tribute to photographer Gordon Parks. Half Past Autumn, a suite of original jazz music, was commissioned by the New Orleans Museum of Art and premiered at NOMA in June 2000. Organized by the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Half Past Autumn: A Retrospective is the first retrospective exhibition by renowned American artist Gordon Parks.
