
Acclaimed jazz trumpeter Jason Palmer, an assistant professor in Berklees Ensemble Department, has released more than a dozen collaborative instrumental tracks, with accompanying representative videos, in honor of Breonna Taylor. Taylor was an innocent EMT killed in March by police officers in Louisville, Kentucky, executing a no-knock warrant on her home.
Palmer was inspired by saxophonist John Ellis, who made a similar video to honor George Floyd, whose death by police violence has inspired protests and calls for racial justice around the world. Its the least I can do with what I believe is my calling at this time in my life in order to educate people on who Breonna is and the steps that need to be taken to ensure that her death is not in vain, said Palmer.
Students Jill Scott Cover Is a Call for Justice
Music therapy major Keira Smiths version of Scotts Watching Me was penned in solidarity with Black Lives Matter.
To launch the project, Palmer sent out a call to friends and musicians he admires and several artists quickly responded about making contributions to accompany the solo track he had recorded. There is a small melodic figure that represents each letter of her name, said Palmer, explaining the concept. She was shot eight times, so I did my best to leave eight seconds between each figure [for us] to play expressively. At the end, there is 26 seconds of space to improvise. She was 26 when she passed.
Collaborators on the different versions of the track include faculty pianists Kevin Harris and Jason Yeager, faculty guitarist David Fiuczynski, and drummer Austin McMahon.
Tracks also came in from musicians in various parts of the U.S.-California, New York, Washington, and Louisiana-and around the world, including England, France, and the Netherlands. Contributors include saxophonists Caroline Davis, Noah Preminger, and John Ellis; bassists Max Ridley M.M. '17, Edward Perez, Zack Lober, and Michael Janisch; drummer Tyson Jackson B.M. '19; vocalist Rachel Bade-McMurphy; and pianist Carmen Staaf.
Palmer encouraged the musicians to play as much as they'd like over the track-in the spaces and over the held chords in the trumpet part. The collaborations produced powerful and strikingly different results on each version of the track, even those with similar instrumentation.
I'm hoping this project will serve as a piece that can help in leaving the window open for systemic change to happen, in Breonna's case and throughout society, said Palmer. Ive already had several people message me, thanking me for bringing attention to Breonna and carrying through by signing petitions, donating, etc., because they saw one of my collaborations.
Watch Jason Palmer's collection of videos: Justice for Breonna Taylor Duos in Dedication.
Video of #SayHerName #BreonnaTaylor Musical Dedication Collaboration with Kevin Harris
About Jason Palmer Trumpeter, composer, and educator Jason Palmer is one of the most in-demand musicians of his generation. He has performed with artists including Roy Haynes, Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Smith (the organist), Wynton Marsalis and the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and others. In addition to performing on over 40 albums as a sideman, Palmer has recorded 13 albums as a leader on labels Ayva, Steeplechase, Newvelle, and Giant Step Arts. He has toured in over 30 countries and is a 2019 Chamber Music America (CMA) New Jazz Works recipient.
Related categories:
News
Related Reading
Faculty Notes: Spring 2020 Recent accomplishments, releases, and events by Berklee faculty.
Berklee Acts Were Everywhere at Newport Jazz Newport Folk Festival's hip older sibling featured tons of Berklee alumni, students, and faculty.
Daedelus Joins Berklee Electronic Production and Design Department The acclaimed artist, DJ, and producer has worked with Diplo, Death Cab for Cutie, Flying Lotus, and more.
More from Berklee Now
Most Popular
Alumna Kirbys Viral Video Helped Bring Down Aunt Jemima Brand The video has been viewed 4.7 million times and has been credited with pushing Quaker Oats to scrap the brand of breakfast products.
Latest
Jason Palmer Releases Duo Collaborations in Honor of Breonna Taylor The faculty trumpeter collaborated with more than a dozen musicians, including Berklee faculty and alumni, on duo tracks dedicated to the EMT who was killed in March.
Berklee Creates Music and Health Repository The colleges Libraries and Learning Resources and Music and Health Institute have created the first-ever music and health repository in the field.
Berklee Alumni and Faculty Nominated for 2020 Emmy Awards Nominees include several prominent composers, sound mixers, and music editors for a wide range of programs.
Read All
Subscribe The latest sounds, stories, and ideas, sent to your inbox weekly.
Berklee Blogs
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Instagram
Snapchat
Soundcloud
Spotify
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
10/12/2025
Sound-Alike Commercials Are Part of Sports' Soundtrack Johnny Cash for Coca-Cola is the latest in a long litany of sonic approximationsBy Dan Daley, Audio ...
10/12/2025
Immersive Sound Is Logical Next Step for Sports VenuesSound-systems suppliers are sanguine, but the market has its challengesBy Dan Daley, Audio Editor
Wednes...
10/12/2025
The Romans Built Arenas for Immersive Sound 2,000 Years AgoThe historic Arena of Nimes in France is still in use todayBy Dan Daley, Audio Editor
Wednesday, De...
10/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: Audio Workshop Hits on Immersive, Virtualized, and Next...
10/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Technology Exhibits Preview: Audio SpotlightBy SVG Staff
Wednesday, December 10, 2025 - 8:21 am
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlig...
10/12/2025
SVG Europe Audio: Listening to the sounds of powder and ice at Milano Cortina wi...
10/12/2025
Advancements in audio technology: Capturing the atmosphere of live sports By David Davies
Tuesday, November 25, 2025 - 09:27
Print This Story
Although wor...
10/12/2025
Everything smelled of popcorn: The art of bringing the complex sound of esports ...
10/12/2025
Top L-R: Ha-Chan, Shake Your Booty!, Hanging by a Wire, Broken English, Buddy
C...
10/12/2025
For the first time, Spotify is giving users the power to steer the algorithm. Gustav S derstr m, Spotify's Co-President, CPO, and CTO, shares the vision beh...
10/12/2025
L3Harris' new contract for Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System Insensitive ...
10/12/2025
L3Harris Meadowlands system has been designed with an open architecture software system that allows for more flexible and efficient software updates. This capab...
10/12/2025
During this interval, streaming comprised the majority of ad supported TV (46.4%...
10/12/2025
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. Bitcentral, a provider of production, asset management, playout and streaming workflow solutions, has named technology veteran Rick Arnold...
10/12/2025
TV Tech is delighted to reveal the winners of the 2025 Media & Entertainment: Best in Market Awards....
10/12/2025
BOTHELL, Wash. The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), the Video Services Forum (VSF), the Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) and the European Broad...
10/12/2025
In a notable example of how pay TV operators are integrating streaming services into their lineup and using those services to retain or attract subscribers, Dir...
10/12/2025
Today, Chaos builds instant feedback into the viewport, connecting Maya and Houdini to Chaos Vantage's real-time path tracer. Artists can now assess 3D asse...
10/12/2025
Smeup, a key partner for companies engaged in digital transformation, today announced the expansion of its adoption of Cubbit, the first geo-distributed cloud s...
10/12/2025
Mediagenix, a global leader in smart content solutions to profitably connect the right content to the right audience, today announced two significant milestones...
10/12/2025
BEAVERTON, Ore. HDR10+ Technologies, LLC has announced that they will soon begin the licensing and certification of devices, content, and services that support ...
10/12/2025
SMPTE has joined forces with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Entertainment Technology Center (ETC) to publish an updated report on AI and its impact o...
10/12/2025
Clear-Com is pleased to announce the appointment of Kris Koch as Director of Sales - North & South America. In this expanded leadership role, Kris will oversee...
10/12/2025
Mavis today announced the latest version of Mavis Camera (v7.4), a major update to its professional iOS camera app, headlined by the launch of Film Kit - an opt...
10/12/2025
Creamsource, renowned for its Vortex series of cinematic lighting, is laying the groundwork for its next phase of growth with the addition of Markus Zeiler as G...
10/12/2025
Digital Alert Systems, a global leader in emergency communications solutions for media providers, today announced that the DAS3-DC-PS, a new DC power supply opt...
10/12/2025
Riedel Communications today announced it has formed a strategic partnership with Racing Electronics, a premier provider of motorsport communication equipment in...
10/12/2025
#GALSNGEAR is launching two signature leadership retreats in early 2026, designed to equip women in media, entertainment, and technology with the tools to lead...
10/12/2025
Providing worldwide customers with total confidence through transparent, all-inclusive pricing
CVP, one of Europe's leading suppliers of professional video...
10/12/2025
With the Federal Communications Commission working on new rules for the deployment of NextGen TV, next year promises to be an important one for both the future ...
10/12/2025
DENVER Tom Rutledge, director emeritus and former president and CEO of Charter Communications, will be honored with the 2026 Bresnan Ethics in Business Award by...
10/12/2025
NEW YORK Novocap's Cadent has acquired VuePlanner, a YouTube video ad planning, optimization, and measurement company in a deal that will help Cadent expand...
10/12/2025
In preparation for the madness of March, here are some important reminders for scheduling back-to-back Special Playlists.
The first Special Playlist MUST end b...
10/12/2025
10 Dec 2025
VEON's Rising Capital Markets Profile Strengthened by Inclusion...
10/12/2025
10 Dec 2025
VEON Recognized for JazzCash, Kyivstar and Jazz at the World Commun...
10/12/2025
December 10th, 2025
TRIBECA FILMS TO RELEASE THE INDEPENDENT DOCUMENTARY FILM...
10/12/2025
Wednesday 10 December 2025
Sky extends partnership with the Ladies European Tour for a landmark 30th year
Sky and the Ladies European Tour (LET) have announce...
10/12/2025
Wednesday 10 December 2025
Walk-on if you love the darts: James Maddison, Luke ...
10/12/2025
Rohde & Schwarz presents world's first RF power sensor with 0.80 mm RF conne...
10/12/2025
Back to All News
2026 Starts With a Swoon: Kim Seon-ho and Go Youn-jung Lead C...
10/12/2025
Back to All News
Berlin and the Lady with an Ermine Arrives to Netflix on May 15
Entertainment
10 December 2025
GlobalSpain
Link copied to clipboard
THE N...
10/12/2025
It's out of the frying pan and into the sequins for comedian and actor Micha...
10/12/2025
Born That Way airs Thursday 18 December on RT One and RT Player
Born That ...
09/12/2025
2025 Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame: Pam Oliver, Sideline Icon Who Redefined t...
09/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Technology Exhibits Preview, Part 2By Jason Dachman, Editorial Director, U.S.
Tuesday, December 9, 2025 - 7:17 am
Print This Story | Subscr...
09/12/2025
SVG Summit 2025 Preview: Cloud Production Workshop Spotlights Live and Non-Live ...
09/12/2025
Next-generation content protection: Multi-technology security is integral to com...
09/12/2025
CBS Sports Provides One-of-a-Kind Production' for UEFA Champions League Cro...
09/12/2025
Spanish Professional Basketball League Relies on NETGEAR AV, MAM Tech for Seamle...