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Standing together as two of the unique and undeniable voices emerging from Los Angeles’ rapidly evolving creative music landscape, saxophonist Devin Daniels and trumpeter Julien Knowles first met as classmates of the prestigious Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz (formerly the Thelonious Monk Institute). Daniels and Knowles quickly forged a special frontline bond during the two-year fellowship program, where they were mentored by several legendary jazz artists including Herbie Hancock, Billy Childs, and Walter Smith III. Since graduating in 2023 the two have begun forging their own individually intertwined career paths.
An Inglewood (CA) native, Daniels’ rare ability to balance versatility with uncompromising individuality has led him to perform in the bands of Gerald Clayton, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and John Beasley. Perhaps most notably, in 2024 Daniels was invited by his mentor Herbie Hancock to join him on a four-week tour across the United States alongside highly acclaimed bandmates in Terence Blanchard, Chris Potter and Lionel Loueke. As for Knowles, since moving to Los Angeles in 2021 he has quickly become one of the most sought-after musicians in LA’s creative music scene for his unwavering musical sensitivity and honest improvisation. Knowles has toured the United States with Louis Cole and together with Daniels has shared sideman performances with Gerald Clayton and Miguel-Atwood Ferguson, in addition to playing with Billy Mohler and Sasha Berliner.
Knowles and Daniels have collectively led bands featuring LA’s most prominent voices of today including Steve Lehman, Justin Brown, David Binney, Paul Cornish, Chris Fishman, Jonathan Pinson and John Escreet. They have performed alongside one another on numerous festival stages including Angel City Jazz and Central Jazz, and are each consistently core members of the others’ ensembles. This is the case for both of their standout releases of 2024— Daniels’ fiery live album Lesgo! and Knowles’ impassioned debut As Many, as One were both celebrated in NPR’s “Essential Jazz Discoveries of 2024.”
Daniels and Knowles officially joined forces to record a new co-led project last year, aiming to pay homage to this music’s rich history while simultaneously ushering in a new generation of interpretation. For their Jazz Bakery debut they will be joined by bassist Jermaine Paul and GRAMMY-award-winning drummer Christian Euman performing selections from their upcoming album, to be released later this year.