Recipient Information
Location
Brooklyn, New York
Medium
Jazz Trumpeting & Composition
Project Title
FLY OR DIE
Year of Award
2020
Grant or Fellowship
Jazz Road Tours Grant
Grant Amount
$15,000
Performances
- The Mill. March 19, 2020. Iowa City IA
- Ron Robinson Theater. March 21, 2020. Little Rock AR
- Crosstown Arts. March 22, 2020. Memphis TN
- Cafe Berlin. March 24, 2020. Columbia MO
- The Standard (Big Ears Festival). 26, 2020. Knoxville TN
About the Artist
Fly or Die is the compositional outlet of trumpeter, composer, and (now) vocalist, Jaimie Branch (b. 1983). Branch, originally from Chicago and now Brooklyn based, has worked for many years as a sideman and lead many ensembles in Chicago, Baltimore, and New York. With the release of her debut album as a leader, Fly or Die in 2017, and the surprise success of that album, she has catapulted onto the main stages of many jazz festivals at home and abroad.
The New York Times featured Branch in an article about women jazz instrumentalists in December 2017 and the following week named her album #4 on the “Best Albums of 2017.” NPR’s jazz critic’s poll awarded Fly or Die best debut of 2017 and NPR music cited Fly or Die in the top 50 albums of 2017 (#47) calling it “both a fully formed statement and a bolt out of the blue.”
The album was also featured on Bandcamp Daily, WIRE, Jazztimes, the Los Angeles Times, and more. Rolling Stone named Branch in the June 2017 article “10 New Artists You Need to Know,” saying: “[Fly or Die] Sounds like Art Ensemble of Chicago jamming at an art punk loft.” This coming October will see the release of FLY or DIE II: bird dogs of paradise, recorded (mostly) in studio at Total Refreshment Centre and live at Café OTO in London, UK at the end of Fly or Die’s first major European tour. Bird dogs of paradise is the result of branch pushing her distinct style of progressive composition to new heights — while also stepping forward as a vocalist for the first time.
Fly or Die is: Lester St. Louis (b. 1993) – cello, percussion Jason Ajemian (b. 1976) – double bass, percussion, vocals Chad Taylor (b. 1973) – drums, mbira Lester St. Louis is a young cello phenom hailing from Queens, NY. An autodidact, St. Louis did not begin playing the cello until he was 16 years old and quickly learned that he had perfect pitch.
