International Anthem has announced the first posthumous album from composer and trumpeter jaimie branch. The new collection, Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((World War)), is out August 25. Watch Jon Philpot’s new music video for “Take Over the World” below.
branch recorded Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((World War)) in April 2022 as part of a residency at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Art in Omaha, Nebraska. The album was nearly completed before her death, and her bandmates—bassist Jason Ajemian, cellist Lester St. Louis, and drummer Chad Taylor—joined branch’s sister and International Anthem in finalizing the recordings for release.
Recognized in Chicago and beyond for her inventive trumpet compositions and performance, branch died unexpectedly in Brooklyn last August at the age of 39. Friends staged a tribute concert in New York just a few weeks after her death. branch issued her solo debut, Fly or Die, in 2017, which she followed with Fly or Die II: Bird Dogs of Paradise in 2019; she also released Fly or Die Live in 2021.
Read “Remembering Trumpeter jaimie branch With 5 Essential Albums” on the Pitch.
Fly or Die Fly or Die Fly or Die ((World War)):
01 Aurora Rising
02 Borealis Dancing
03 Burning Grey
04 The Mountain [ft. Jason Ajemian]
05 Baba Louie
06 Bolinko Bass
07 And Kuma Walks
08 Take Over the World
09 World War ((Reprise))