About Calvin Sexton
Trombonist | Bandleader | Educator
Calvin Sexton is a New York City–based trombonist, composer, bandleader, and educator originally from Birmingham, Alabama. Rooted in jazz and improvisation, his work is shaped by Birmingham's musical environment, Southern cultural memory, live performance, and a commitment to creating experiences that are artistically strong, emotionally vivid, and accessible to a wide range of audiences. Over the past two decades, Sexton has built a career that bridges performance, education, producing, and community-centered creative work. His ensemble received a standing ovation on Showtime at the Apollo in 2006, and he has toured internationally through Armed Forces Entertainment in Japan, Guam, and Okinawa. He has performed at venues including the National Jazz Museum in Harlem, Tipitina's, the Meyerson Symphony Center, Marcus Garvey Park, and the Apollo Theater, and at more than 100 colleges and universities across the United States. He has collaborated with artists including Erykah Badu, Gladys Knight, Lucky Peterson, Lady Bo (of Bo Diddley), and Atlantic Starr, and has performed in a wide range of settings from symphony orchestras to jazz ensembles. Sexton's work has been recognized through the South Arts Jazz Road Creative Residency, the New York State Council on the Arts Artist Grant, the NYC Artist Corps Award, and placement on the Texas Commission on the Arts Touring Roster. He was also nominated for the GRAMMY Music Educator Award in 2015. He is currently leading Calvin Sexton & Friends, developing a project honoring the legacy of his Alabama mentor Jothan Callins, and recording original compositions written over the past 30 years that have not yet been formally documented. Through Sexton Arts, Inc., the nonprofit he founded, Sexton works to expand access to high-quality music education and performance opportunities for youth and community members. A certified music teacher in Texas and New York, he holds a Master of Music in Jazz Studies from New York University and a Bachelor of Music from the University of North Texas.
