A personal favorite and voted BEST JAZZ BAND in the Triangle by the Independent Weekly in 2010, I assure you that you DO NOT want to miss Brian Horton’s performance at Beyu Caffe!
Brian Horton is a composer, saxophonist, producer and jazz educator from Kinston, North Carolina. As a composer and arranger his music has been featured in several independent documentaries for Columbia and Stanford Universities, ESPN, FootLocker and director Spike Lee. Best by far, this young lion is as entertaining to watch as he is to hear on record. Horton currently is a visiting professor at his alma mata, North Carolina Central University, alongside artist in residence Branford Marsalis. His work has also been sited with the likes of latin percussion guru Kevin Jones (10th World), producer Just Blaze (Snoop Dogg, Memphis Bleek) Esoterica, Me’Shell Ndegéocello and DJ Carl Craig to name a few.
He graduated from North Carolina Central University with a BA in jazz performance in the spring of 1997. Two years later he obtained his MA at the Aaron Copeland School of Music in Queens, New York under the direction of Jimmy Heath and the late Sir Roland Hanna. Since that time he has kept a steady balance of work as a bandleader, sideman and composer/arranger for such renowned jazz musicians as Hanna, Winard Harper, Louie Bellson, Clark Terry, Delfaeyo Marsalis and others.
Horton’s playing is known for his attention to detail and melody, especially in his ballads. Horton’s sound is lush and soulful yet filled with a quiet fire when needed. Though a technically competent player, he prefers to speak more than just his vast vocabulary on his instrument. Instead, he tells the story. No matter what tempo, setting or tune he finds room to speak the blues, a characteristic often overlooked by many young horn players today. Horton is an extremely versatile player who opens his ears to many genres of music. His work has also been sited with the likes of latin percussion guru Kevin Jones (10th World), producer Just Blaze (Snoop Dogg, Memphis Bleek) Esoterica, Me’Shell Ndegéocello and DJ Carl Craig to name a few.