Vincent Chandler Experience

Vincent Chandler is an American jazz trombonist, composer, arranger, educator, conductor, and scat singer from Detroit, Michigan. He is recognized as one of the leading figures in Detroit's contemporary jazz scene and has built a career that combines performance, teaching, composition, and jazz preservation.

Chandler earned both a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Jazz Studies and a Master of Music in Improvisation from the University of Michigan, where he studied with notable jazz artists including Donald Walden and Geri Allen. He has taught jazz at several universities, including Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, Claflin University, South Carolina State University, and currently serves as an Assistant Professor and Area Coordinator of Jazz Studies at Wayne State University.

As a performer, Chandler has appeared with many of the world's leading jazz artists, including Herbie Hancock, Wynton Marsalis, Roy Hargrove, Joe Henderson, Marcus Miller, Ambrose Akinmusire, James Carter, Geri Allen, Robert Hurst, Rodney Whitaker and JD Allen. His touring has taken him throughout North America, Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

Chandler has recorded as both a leader and sideman. His recordings include the album Embraceable and featured performances on Roy Hargrove's Emergence, James Carter's At the Crossroads, and Carl Allen and Rodney Whitaker's Work to Do.

Beyond performing and teaching, Chandler is a dedicated advocate for Detroit's jazz heritage. He founded the Detroit Jazz Preservation Concert Series, an initiative that celebrates the city's influential jazz musicians and history. In recognition of his artistic contributions, he received a 2020 Kresge Arts in Detroit Artist Fellowship and he received The Living Legacy Award for his outstanding leadership, service and dedication from The Carr Center & Urban Art Orchestra in 2025.

He is a core member of Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble, the Detroit-based group assembled by Don Was to celebrate the city's rich musical traditions through a blend of jazz, funk, blues, soul, and R&B. Within the Pan-Detroit Ensemble, Chandler is one of the band's featured soloists and music arranger for the horn section, helping shape the band's rich brass sound. Don Was and the Pan-Detroit Ensemble's debut album, Groove in the Face of Adversity, was released in 2025. He was also featured in the ensemble's 2026 Tiny Desk Concert.

Lineup:
Vincent Chandler - trombone, vocals
Zach Sommerfield - Guitar
Jacob Hart - Piano
Michael Abbo - bass
David Ward - drums