Alex Massa

Currently based in He Sapa (Black Hills) of South Dakota, trumpeter Alex Massa has had a career spanning geogrophies, genres, and fields. Having resided in New Orleans, Iceland, Winnipeg, Corpus Christi, and Chicago over the past decade, he has crafted an approach and sound that is distinct and authentic. A self-proclaimed generalist, Massa has performed in nearly every genre and style possible, from bebop to heavy metal, funk to avant-garde, and baroque to minimalist modern classical. A shortlist of artists he has worked with are: Samantha Fish, Vintage Trouble, The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Delfeayo Marsalis and the Uptown Jazz Orchestra, Trumpet Mafia, The Headhunters, The Nth Power, The Revivalists, Two Friends, Nikki Glaspie, Brian Haas, Mike Dillon, Jon Roniger and the Good For Nothin’ Band, Helen Gillet, Ben Lamar Gay, Cristal Sabbagh’s Freedom From and Freedom To, Dave Miller, Derrick Gardner, Galactic, Quincy Davis’ Promise, Jamison Ross.

As a bandleander, Massa has released 7 albums. His current projects include; WATER MUSIC, The Fat Trio, The New Music Ensemble of the Black Hills, Plays Well With Others, Strange Winds, Skeleton Crew, Plays With Himself, a Standards Quartet, The Good Eggs, and spinning vinyl records as DJ SnackMassa5000.

As a writer, Alex composes original music for short films, documentaries, features, and commercial placement. His credits include Big Night (dir. Ann Lupo), Parsnip (dir. John Hansen), In Reality (dir. Ann Lupo), Discretion (w/Cary Elwes), and has had placements on Discovery Channel, The Food Network, CBS, Netflix, and other channels.

Alex is a certified yoga teacher, an avid outdoorsperson and fly-fisher, and an advocate for water rights around the globe. He works as a community organizer for the Black Hills Clean Water Alliance, preventing new and large-scale mining in the Black Hills.