With his bold tone and adroit harmonic ideas, trumpeter Charles Tolliver has distinguished himself as a forward-thinking performer, often straddling the line between hard bop lyricism and avant-garde exploration. Following his emergence in the 1960s as a member of Jackie McLean's group, Tolliver came into his own as a leader. Collaborating regularly with pianist Stanley Cowell, he moved from small group dates like 1969's The Ringer to expansive big-band albums such as 1975's Impact, featuring his Music Inc. ensemble. Along the way, he and Cowell also founded the boundary-pushing Strata East Records. Following a period out of the spotlight and teaching, Tolliver re-emerged to regular activity with 2007's Grammy-nominated big-band album With Love. He has remained a vital presence, moving from big-band dates like 2009's Emperor March: Live at the Blue Note to hard-hitting small group sessions like 2020's Connect.