Brandon Woody’s Upendo / Gabrielle Cavassa

This concert, part of Terence Blanchard’s UpSwing series, shines a light on a pair of rising greats — trumpeter Brandon Woody and vocalist Gabrielle Cavassa — both rising artists with stunning debuts on Blue Note Records. 

Starting his musical journey at seven, Brandon Woody is the most exciting young trumpeter of his generation. Already a veteran of work with Marc Cary, Solange, Robert Glasper, and Danilo Pérez, the Baltimore native will bring the stimulating compositions from his 2025 Blue Note debut, For The Love Of It All, with his hard-hitting band Upendo featuring keyboardist Troy Long, bassist Michael Saunders, and drummer Quincy Phillips. Woody made a major impression with Upendo during his appearance at the 42nd San Francisco Jazz Festival, and his Miner Auditorium debut will be a night to remember. 

Vocalist and songwriter Gabrielle Cavassa, co-winner of the 2021 International Sarah Vaughan Jazz Vocal Competition, is best known to SFJAZZ audiences for her stunning performances with Joshua Redman’s quartet. She fell in love with jazz while attending San Francisco State and it was the city’s jazz scene that she credits for her “real education.” Since relocating to New Orleans in 2017, she’s thrived as a performer, bandleader, and composer, earning critical raves for her eponymous 2020 debut album. Her Blue Note debut, Diavola, features Redman, Jeff Parker, Larry Grenadier, Paul Cornish, and Brian Blade.