Anthony Branker

In the artist’s words: Describe one of your earliest musical memories in detail. Jazz took hold of me when I went to my first live concert to hear Maynard Ferguson’s Big Band in 1974. They were swinging so hard with great soloists and playing bop and hard bop. That’s when I knew I wanted this music to be part of my life. What are your top 3 all-time favorite albums on Apple Music, and why? Why did you choose these three albums in particular? Art Blakey, The Jazz Messengers, Ugetsu: Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers At Birdland (Live) [Remastered] Miles Davis, The Miles Davis Quintet, 1965-68: The Complete Columbia Studio Woody Shaw, The Essential Woody Shaw / The Columbia Years Classic recordings filled with great performances and engaging compositions. Dripping with beauty in sound and spirit!! Find a song of yours on Apple Music that you love and tell us what makes it special. Tell us why you chose this song. “Many Roads Beneath the Sky” “Many Roads Beneath the Sky” is a composition where the melody came to me in a nearly completed form almost immediately after I sat down at the piano and began exploring. The performances on this track are magical with incredibly lyrical solos. What’s one of the most memorable moments in your career so far? The most memorable musical experience I have had to date was having the opportunity to conduct trumpeter Terence Blanchard and His Quintet with Orchestra in a performance of his extended work "A Tale of God's Will (A Requiem for Katrina)" Is there anything left on your bucket list as an artist or band? I want to keep on creating music that engages listeners through rhythm and lyricism while also raising social consciousness by exploring issues related to social justice, culture, and equality.