Jaimie Branch: 17/06/1983 – 22/08/2022
Kevin Whitlock
Wednesday, August 24, 2022
The talented and highly acclaimed New York-born trumpeter has died unexpectedly aged 39
Today Jazzwise received the sad and unexpected news that trumpeter-composer Jaimie Branch had died.
The cause of her death is not yet known, but she was just 39 years old. Branch, a New York-via-Chicago avant-garde jazz trumpeter, was best-known for her Fly or Die project with percussionist Chad Taylor, bassist Jason Ajemian and cellists Tomeka Reid and Lester St Louis, and her various collaborations and guest appearances. She was also a key figure on the Chicago-based International Anthem Records.
The news was confirmed by International Anthem on Twitter: “At 9:21 pm on Monday, 22 August, composer and trumpeter Jaimie Branch passed away in her home in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Her family, friends and the musical community are heartbroken.”
A statement from her family read: “Jaimie was a daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, friend and teacher; she touched countless numbers of people with her music and spirit, both of which are fearless, truthful and beautiful, and will live on in hearts and ears forever. We ask not just for your thoughts and prayers but also for your action. Show your love and support for your family and friends and anyone who may be in need — just like Jaimie did for all of us”.
A charismatic, passionate and occasionally confrontational live performer, Branch was also an improviser of brilliance who, despite her avant-garde leanings, possessed a populist touch; she knew how to make her music accessible, and won a large, committed following here in the UK, in the US and across Europe. Originally from Huntington, New York, she started playing trumpet when she was nine. She attended the New England Conservatory Of Music and lived in Chicago until 2012 when she moved to Baltimore for a Master’s degree in Jazz performance at Towson University. In 2015, Branch moved to New York, where she worked with cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm and drummer Mike Pride, among others. She cited Don Cherry, Booker Little and Miles Davis among her key influences.
Over the course of her career, Branch performed solo, releasing three Fly Or Die projects in 2017, 2019, and 2021, and collaboratively, appearing on albums with Never Enough Hope, Local H, Atlas Moth, and Eli Winter’s just-released self-titled, album.
Branch was also well known for her work in the duo Anteloper, which she performed in with drummer Jason Nazary. Their most recent release was the album Pink Dolphins, which will be reviewed in the October issue of Jazzwise.
A huge presence both in person and onstage, she will be sorely missed. A full obituary will be published in the next issue of the magazine.