About
Fareed Simpson-Hankins is a trumpet player, producer, composer, educator and bandleader born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His trumpet playing is inspired by the sound of Miles Davis, the technical virtuosity of Dizzy Gillespie, the soulfulness of Lee Morgan, the confidence of Freddie Hubbard, and the joy and spirit of Louis Armstrong.
He first picked up the trumpet at eight years old. As a youth, he studied music at the Mount Airy Cultural Center jazz program, Temple PREP, and graduated from Central High School. He played at local venues at a young age with the Developing Excellence.Inc and was mentored by Byard Lancaster. He acquired a love for music as a child when his parents practiced and brought him to their performances. He also learned from playing spirituals and gospel music in the church he grew up in, Shiloh Temple Church of God in Christ. He attended Temple University, having had the opportunity to study with some of the finest trumpet players and veteran jazz musicians. Since graduating, he has performed with Bootsy Collins, The Clayton-Hamilton Big Band, The Philly POPS Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia, Arturo O'Farrill and The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Orrin Evans and The Captain Black Big Band, Darcy James Argue's Secret Society, The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis.
Recently, he has been seen on PBS, heard on WRTI 90.1, and has produced The Second Line Bebop Series, a web series that premiered on YouTube in 2022. He’s performed at the 2017 Jazz is Back festival in Grožnjan, Croatia, and at the 2016 North Sea Jazz Festival, in Rotterdam. He also won an outstanding soloist award at the 2020 Jack Rudin Jazz Championship, hosted by Jazz at Lincoln Center. He currently leads his own quintet as well as co-leads Brothers.Ink with his brother. In 2019, he was featured on Temple University’s Constant Renaissance, which was Nominated for a GRAMMY. His mission is to have an impactful career as a musician and join the long lineage of great trumpet players by performing for various audiences and connecting people of different backgrounds.