Joyful Foundation: The Music of Justin Copeland marks the third release by Chicago-rooted ensemble Entre Amigos, this time joined by trumpeter, composer, and educator Justin Copeland. The album expands the group’s collaborative universe, featuring a program split evenly between original compositions by Copeland and new works by members of Entre Amigos — music shaped through shared history, deep listening, and a collective spirit. Justin Copeland is a trumpeter, pianist, composer, and music educator whose career bridges performance, composition, and mentorship. Originally from Fresno, California, and now based in the Portland, Oregon area, Copeland has spent over fifteen years performing across the United States and internationally, with appearances in Mexico, Canada, Cuba, England, and beyond. His artistry is grounded in both technical mastery and an unmistakable sense of joy — qualities that align naturally with the ethos of Entre Amigos. Copeland earned his B.A. in Music Performance from California State University, Fresno in 2011 and his M.M. in Jazz Studies from Northwestern University in 2013, later pursuing a D.M.A. in Jazz Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. It was during his eight-year tenure in the Chicago area that his musical path intertwined closely with the members of Entre Amigos, through shared scenes, collaborations, and bandstands. During that time, Copeland performed alongside an array of world-renowned artists, including Victor Goines, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Branford Marsalis, Doc Severinsen, Solange Knowles, and Kurt Elling. His artistry has also been recognized at the highest levels of the jazz world: in 2017, he won First Place in the Yamaha Jazz Division of the National Trumpet Competition and was selected as a finalist for the Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Competition. In February 2020, Copeland was chosen as one of just thirty candidates worldwide to audition for the Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz, performing for and alongside Ambrose Akinmusire, Wayne Shorter, and Herbie Hancock. Joyful Foundation reflects both Copeland’s compositional voice and the evolving identity of Entre Amigos. The album continues the group’s commitment to shared authorship and collective storytelling, while Copeland’s trumpet adds a new dimension — lyrical, incisive, and grounded in a profound sense of optimism. As with the ensemble’s previous releases, the music is rooted in friendship, mutual respect, and the belief that joy itself can be a structural force. This third chapter further solidifies Entre Amigos not as a static ensemble, but as a living, expanding community — one that celebrates the music of friends, shaped by friends, and offered outward with generosity and purpose.

Year Released: 2021