Jazz, at its best, begins with listening—to history, to place, and to one another. Trumpeter, composer, and educator Delbert Anderson understands this intuitively. A Diné (Navajo) artist, Anderson’s work sits at the intersection of contemporary jazz and Indigenous worldview, shaped by community, memory, and a deep sense of responsibility to where the music comes from.
Anderson approaches music as a shared conversation. His compositions are shaped with intention and leave room for breath, allowing improvisation to unfold through listening and response. There is a quiet confidence in his trumpet voice—clear, thoughtful, and grounded—that reflects a broader Native American jazz movement coming into clearer view while remaining anchored in culture, community, and responsibility.
On January 22, Anderson brings that approach to Southwest Colorado with a quartet whose individual paths add depth and range to the music they create together.
At the piano is Robert Muller, a Santa Fe–based pianist and keyboardist whose musical life has unfolded across intimate rooms and international stages. Raised in Portland, Oregon, Muller studied closely with the late Blue Note pianist Andrew Hill, an influence evident in his openness to harmonic exploration and his patient, attentive approach at the keyboard. His playing favors curiosity over excess, creating space for ideas to emerge and evolve.
Khalill Brown, a Denver-based drummer with roots in the Blackfoot and Cherokee tribes, brings both drive and restraint to the ensemble. Known for his work in funk and fusion, Brown draws from a wide rhythmic vocabulary shaped by multiple cultures and traditions. His drumming is responsive and layered, grounding the music while allowing it to move freely.
On bass, Evan Suiter provides foundation and flexibility in equal measure. A musician whose journey began at an early age, Suiter has developed a wide-ranging repertoire that spans jazz, Latin music, classical, country, funk, and rock. That breadth gives the quartet agility, supporting subtle shifts in mood and tempo without drawing attention away from the collective sound.
Together, the Delbert Anderson Quartet operates as a true ensemble—listening closely, responding in real time, and allowing the music to develop without urgency. It’s jazz that values connection over display and rewards audiences willing to lean in.
Presented as part of the Southwest Colorado Concert Series, this performance reflects a commitment to artists whose work expands our understanding of music as cultural expression and shared experience. For listeners seeking depth, intention, and thoughtful exchange, January 22 offers an evening shaped by listening in its truest sense.
