Jazz trumpeter, vocalist, and composer Jumaane Smith has performed on five GRAMMY Award-winning records (selling more than 60 million copies), two Emmy Award-nominated TV performances, and the GRAMMY Awards with Stevie Wonder. He has performed in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story (as a trumpet solo actor), at the White House, and on the Today Show, the Tonight Show, Oprah, Good Morning America, and American Idol.
He has spent the last 18 years touring and recording with Michael Bublé as lead trumpeter and vocalist and featured soloist. He was a member of Harry Connick Jr.’s house band for the syndicated daytime TV show Harry, and was the featured guest soloist for Jackie Evancho’s “Songs of the Silver Screen” world tour, backed by a 60-piece symphony orchestra.
Smith has toured with his own band to such world-class venues as Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Vail Jazz Festival, the Java Jazz Festival, Birdland Jazz Club, the North Star Festival, Joe's Pub, the Rochester International Jazz Festival, the Catalina Island Jazz Festival, and many more.
His critically acclaimed debut album, I Only Have Eyes For You, features special guests Michael Bublé, Jackie Evancho, and Naturally 7. His sophomore album, When You’re Smiling, was released to much praise in January 2020. His highly-anticipated third album was released by Zinn Music on August 16, 2024.
As a composer, Smith has scored music for films such as Handsome Harry (starring Steve Buscemi and Jamey Sheridan) and the documentary Being in the World, as well as for his own recordings and the interactive sheet music company Tomplay.
Smith has worked with musical legends such as Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, Aretha Franklin, Christian McBride, Barbra Streisand, Alicia Keys, Kamasi Washington, Jon Batiste, Theo Croker, Etienne Charles, and many more. He was a full scholarship recipient in The Juilliard School of Music’s Jazz Studies program from 2001 to 2005, with Wynton Marsalis as his primary trumpet teacher.