Hermon Mehari Quintet feat. Darrell Green

In his pioneering quest for a new sound while exploring his Eritrean origins, trumpeter Hermon Mehari recently composed an album entirely influenced by the harmonies, rhythms, and melodies of Eritrean music. However, this project, Asmara (Komos), his third as a leader, does not stem solely from musical expression—the pieces carry an emotional dimension and convey the different facets of his relationship with family and culture.

Having grown musically within the Kansas City jazz tradition, Mehari’s sound reflects that heritage of pushing boundaries while remaining rooted in the past. He won the Carmine Caruso International Trumpet Competition in 2015 and was a semi-finalist in the Thelonious Monk Jazz Competition in 2014. Mehari also won the National Trumpet Competition in 2008.
He has performed professionally alongside Bobby Watson, Randy Brecker, Aaron Parks, Joe Sanders, Jeff Ballard, Nate Wood, Hubert Laws, Kevin Morby, David Linx, Henri Texier, and Sélène Saint-Aimé, among others.