Jelani Bauman photographed by Eliot Kamenitz

The New Orleans Jazz Museum is replaying the Jelani Bauman performance from February 11th, 2022, presented by the New Orleans Jazz Museum. Tune in to the Jazz Museum's Facebook page at 2 pm CDT to watch for free.

Jelani Akil Bauman was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. He began his musical journey at the age of 13 when he began playing the trumpet. Mr. Bauman’s comes from a long lineage of jazz musicians that spans five generations: His great-great grandfather, Professor J.B. Humphrey, taught music and established brass bands in southeast Louisiana as early as 1880.

Mr. Bauman’s grandfather, the renowned trumpeter, Emery Humphrey Thompson (Umar Sharif) performed with such musicians as Lionel Hampton, Fletcher Henderson, and Ella Fitzgerald. Mr. Bauman’s musical training began in New Orleans under the instruction of Ronald Benko, trumpeter with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. Benko is known for coaching such musical giants as Wynton Marsalis and Nicholas Payton.

Mr. Bauman’s enriched training and passion led him to being accepted into the one of the country’s top performing arts high schools, the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA), which is known for developing some of the world’s top musicians, such as Wynton Marsalis, Branford Marsalis, and Terence Blanchard. At NOCCA, Jelani studied with legendary jazz educator Alvin Batiste.

After attending NOCCA, Jelani attended Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in New York and later received a scholarship to Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, graduating with a B.S. in Professional Music in May 2011. In May of 2013, Mr. Bauman received his Master's of Music in Jazz Studies from Michigan State University under the direction of world renowned bassist, Rodney Whitaker. Mr. Bauman, has performed with Rihanna, Ravi Coltrane, Ellis Marsalis, Donald Harrison, Robin Eubanks, and many others.

Click here to learn more about Jelani Bauman!