ST. LOUIS — Jazz St. Louis prepared for its fifth consecutive sold-out show as people made their way to see Ferguson's very own trumpeter and composer Keyon Harrold.
"I studied music here, went to McCluer High School and then I moved to New York City to pursue my dreams as a jazz musician," Harrold said.
For the last 20 years in the Big Apple, he's worked with numerous artists like Common, Beyoncé and Maxwell. In 2009 he released his solo debut "Introducing Keyon Harrold". Now, he's back home adding Creative Advisor of Jazz St. Louis to his resume.
"I have the opportunity to really affect some lives and bring some really creative projects to St. Louis, some new energy some new vibes," Harrold said.
We weren't able to film the soundcheck or the performance, but Harrold will be here for three years to share his story and bring his own type of activism to the stage.
Some of his musical inspiration comes from experience.
After seeing the uprisings in his hometown from the Michael Brown shooting, and a woman who falsely accused his son of stealing her cell phone, a video that went viral.
"My son was attacked and we had to go through this whole process, but the beauty in the tragedy is that my son and I are still here to talk about it," Harrold said.
Harrold's jazz style incorporates rock, R&B and hip-hop, unifying different cultures through his music.
"To take on the mantle of the already rich history here in music, in St. Louis from Miles Davis to Clark Terry and so many other incredible people to take it further to bring amazing people to bring creative collaborations just to curate some amazing stuff, man," Harrold said.
Harrold's five-day concert debut at the Jazz St. Louis wrapped up this evening.
He will focus on annual performances that will reflect the St. Louis community through the 2023-2024 season.