Bill Warfield

For over four decades, Bill Warfield has brought energy, innovation, and artistry to the world of jazz as a composer, bandleader, and trumpeter. A dynamic force on stage and in the studio, Warfield has captivated audiences and inspired musicians with a style deeply rooted in jazz, funk, Latin, and hard bop.

His recent projects include two acclaimed recordings: Mercy Mercy Mercy (BluJazz, 2015) with the Hell’s Kitchen Funk Orchestra, and Trumpet Story (Planet Arts, 2014), featuring legendary trumpeter Randy Brecker. These albums reflect Warfield’s musical roots and showcase his sophisticated arranging and bold, expressive voice.

Warfield holds a Master of Music in Jazz/Commercial Trumpet Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, where he received numerous accolades including the William H. Borden Award, the Carmine Caruso Award, and the Maynard Ferguson Scholarship. He further honed his craft through the prestigious BMI Jazz Composers Workshop, studying under Bob Brookmeyer and Manny Albam.

Raised in Baltimore, Warfield began playing trumpet at age 11 and by 14 was performing with local R&B and soul bands. His early classical and jazz training at the Peabody Conservatory Preparatory and with the Maryland Youth Symphony Orchestra gave way to jazz studies at Towson State College under the direction of Hank Levy. A featured soloist in Levy’s jazz ensemble, Warfield won the Outstanding Trumpet Player Award at the Quinnipiac College Jazz Festival in 1973.

After graduating, he immersed himself in Baltimore’s jazz scene, performing with Sonny Stitt, Mickey Fields, Jimmy Wells, and Charles Covington. He recorded with the Towson Jazz Ensemble on 2 + 2 = 5, with his solo on Levy’s “Stillness Runs Deep” selected for the National Association of Jazz Educators’ Project One compilation.

In 1980, Warfield moved to New York City and quickly integrated into the city’s vibrant jazz world. He subbed with the Mel Lewis Jazz Orchestra at the Village Vanguard, co-founded the Bill Kirchner Nonet, and joined the Musicians of the Brooklyn Initiative (MOBI), a collective led by avant-garde icons Cecil Taylor, Lester Bowie, and Joseph Jarman.

As lead trumpeter and arranger for the Kirchner Nonet, Warfield recorded What It Is to Be Frank (1981), Infant Eyes(1983), and the live One Starry Night (2010). He toured with Paul Anka, held residencies in the Bahamas, and studied privately with Jimmie Maxwell.

In 1990, Warfield released his first big band album, New York City Jazz (Interplay), to critical acclaim. This led to a commission from the Spanish government to arrange and conduct Hollywood Jazz, celebrating the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona and Valencia. His 1994 release, The City Never Sleeps (SeaBreeze), featured both rising stars and jazz veterans, and cemented his status as a formidable composer and arranger.

A recommendation from Lew Soloff led to performances with Ornette Coleman and Japanese jazz vocalist Mari Okubo (1992–1994), expanding Warfield’s stylistic reach. Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, he recorded and arranged for artists including Dave Stryker, Dave Liebman, Gene Ludwig, and Le Jazz Hot.

Warfield’s own discography includes:

• Song of Storyville (2001, unreleased)

• Hard Bop (2003)

• Sambra (2005)

• A Faceless Place (2006)

• A Window That Shows Me the Moon (2012)

• Trumpet Story (2014)

• Mercy Mercy Mercy (2015)

In addition to his recording career, Warfield is a respected educator. After teaching at Towson University, Brooklyn College, and the Dalton School, he joined the University of North Florida in 1996, where he worked with Bunky Green. He later accepted a full-time position at Lehigh University, where he currently directs the jazz studies program.

Warfield also leads the New York Jazz Repertory Ensemble, the New York Jazz Octet, and the Hell’s Kitchen Funk Orchestra. He performs regularly at Iridium, Dizzy’s Club, The Garage, and other top NYC venues, and is active internationally as a performer, educator, and composer.

Over the years, Warfield has collaborated with a diverse range of artists including:
Sonny Stitt, Sheila Jordan, Paul Anka, The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Mel Tormé, The Spinners, Jon Faddis, The Gil Evans Orchestra, Mel Lewis, Ornette Coleman, Lester Bowie, Lee Konitz, The Yellowjackets, Eddie Palmieri, Buddy DeFranco, Randy Brecker, and the Berlin Radio Orchestra, among many others.

Bill Warfield is listed in The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz by Ira Gitler and Leonard Feather, and Lewis Porter’s online jazz listings. His legacy continues to evolve through his performances, recordings, and commitment to jazz education.