Brandon Woody’s UPENDO

Brandon Woody is a Baltimore-born, Bach-endorsed trumpeter, composer, and bandleader whose music draws from the lineage of Black music—jazz, gospel, improvisation, and beyond—to explore themes of love, resilience, and community. Praised by The New York Times and Los Angeles Times as a rising force in contemporary jazz, Woody signed with Blue Note Records in 2024 and released his debut album, For The Love Of It All (2025), featuring his longtime band Upendo. Rooted in Baltimore’s creative community, his work has been celebrated for its warmth, expressive tone, and emotional range by DownBeat, the Financial Times, and The Washington Post. Woody has performed at major festivals and institutions across North America, collaborated with artists including Terri Lyne Carrington, BADBADNOTGOOD, Danilo Pérez, and Solange Knowles, and appeared in film and television projects for Apple TV, MGM+, and Warner Bros., while remaining deeply committed to community engagement, education, and music as a tool for connection and healing.