The fifth annual Music at the Intersection festival and conference returns to Grand Center this weekend. Among the likes of legends like Patti LaBelle and rising stars like Leon Thomas is a host of artists who call St. Louis home.
That includes Grammy-nominated jazz trumpeter and composer Keyon Harrold. Although he has physically relocated to Los Angeles, he said his heart and spirit live in St. Louis.
“I'm a son of St. Louis,” he said, “so as much as I can possibly get home, I come home.”
Harrold left St. Louis in 2018 for college but frequently returns to perform. At the inaugural MATI in 2021, he performed at the Fox Theatre. That same year, he accepted a position as creative adviser for Jazz St. Louis — an organization he said was a staple of his childhood.
“It was a homecoming of a different sort. It was special,” Harrold recounted. “I had been going to Jazz St. Louis since I was 14 [or] 15 years old. It was special to come home and bring my expertise, my vision, [and] my art to the place that I call home.”
The feeling of home isn’t the only thing that brings Harrold back to MATI. Harrold is the only artist to perform at every iteration of the festival. He said he can’t get enough of the energy that St. Louis brings to a live show.
“The energy, the vibe [and] the vibrance of the St. Louis people — it’s such a beautiful thing,” Harrold said. “Everybody's soulful [and] everybody’s coming out to have a really good time. To see people moving, to see them get into their zone and close their eyes the way I do — I know we're all doing the right thing.”
Harrold can often be seen wearing dark sunglasses or closing his eyes during performances. He said it helps him access his “sacred oblivion.”
“I close my eyes a lot because I really want to connect to the art,” he said, “so I can make magic and close out the world a little bit. So I can make a new world of music.”
Harrold also enjoys MATI as an audience member. He said the duality of being both performer and audience member will help to inform his role as MATI’s artist-in-residence.
“I've seen many relationships develop,” Harrold said. “I've seen people be introduced to art that they haven't been a part of, that they hadn't known about. That's one of the most special things.”
Harrold will also aid MATI in the curation of its performers and bringing international artists to his home town. This year, he said he’s excited for Arooj Aftab to perform in St. Louis for the first time. The Pakistani American singer, composer and producer was nominated for “Best Alternative Jazz Album” at this year’s Grammy Awards.
Harrold will perform at Sovereign at 10 p.m. Sunday. He is also leading the Jazz St. Louis “Miles Davis Trumpet Summit” at the Big Top at 3 p.m. Sunday.
To hear more about Keyon Harrold and this year’s Music at the Intersection listen to St. Louis on the Air on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or click the play button below.
Related Event
What: Music at the Intersection Festival & Conference
When: Sept. 12-14
Where: Grand Center Arts District St. Louis
“St. Louis on the Air” brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. The show is produced by Miya Norfleet, Emily Woodbury, Danny Wicentowski, Elaine Cha and Alex Heuer. Darrious Varner is our production assistant. The audio engineer is Aaron Doerr.
