Biography

Canadian award winning trumpet player Darren Barrett was born to Jamaican parents. Darren remembers that, “the first time I heard Miles Davis was on the record ‘Round About Midnight, and when I heard Miles’ sound and approach, I knew that the instrument I wanted to play was the trumpet.”

In 1986, Darren attended Berklee College of Music on a full scholarship, receiving a BA in Professional Music in 1990. He went on to receive an MA in Jazz Performance in 1993, and an MS in Music Education from Queens College in 1995. It was there that he came under the influence of Dr. Donald Byrd, who became something of a father figure for the young trumpeter. My quest for a Doctorate degree was interrupted by a special program that was being developed, called the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance, at the New England Conservatory of Music.” In 1997, Darren earned a Diploma in Jazz Performance from the Thelonious Monk Institute where he was a member of the inaugural class. In 1997, Darren entered and won 1st place in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, the biggest jazz competition in the world, which highlights a different instrument each year.

Darren went on to release his first album as a bandleader, First One Up in 1999, Deelings in 2001, Wrenaissance Volume 1 in 2004 and A Very Barrett Christmas in 2011. His newest releases are Darren Barrett Energy In Motion plays the music of the Bee Gees and dB Quintet – Live and Direct released in 2014. Darren has performed or recorded with Elvin Jones, Jackie McLean, Herbie Hancock, Roy Hargrove Big Band, Common, Esperanza Spaulding and Antonio Hart, among others.

Darren is currently an Associate Professor in the ensembles and brass department at his alma mater, Berklee College of Music in Boston Massachusetts. “I’m working on my craft, trying to be as professional and proficient as I can be. I’m just trying to reach people with my music, trying to concentrate on myself as a performer, bandleader and composer. I have many different bands but they all give me the musical platform to pursue anything possible. I want to continue exploring music and the trumpet by being open to the gamut of creativity, incorporating electronics into live shows, and realizing that one must have a great product and a great live show. These are my key principles”.