Jazz trumpeter/steelpan musician Chris Aschman enjoys a multi-faceted career as a performer, educator, studio musician, and arranger. A Baltimore native, Chris segued to Philadelphia to study jazz trumpet at the University of the Arts in 2004 and became a mainstay in the Philly scene. Since this time he has enjoyed a diverse career, having shared the stage with artist such as Paquito D’Rivera, Stanley Clarke, Dionne Warwick, Bakithi Kumalo, Chaka Khan, Kool and the Gang, Andy Narell, Ray Holman, Lotus, Dopapod, Tauk, and many others. Since relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area in 2022, he has launched his new project, Sky Daddy, combining his loves of jazz funk, latin jazz, and steelband music into an exciting modern sound.

Sky Daddy features Aschman on trumpet and steelpan, Bay Area staple Tony Peebles on saxophones, Blood Sweat and Tears’ sensational pianist Adam Klipple on jazz organ, and young phenom Henry Plumb on drumset. Aschman’s unique original compositions and arrangements call to mind groups like the Dave Holland Quintet, Kneebody, Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters, and Snarky Puppy. While employing odd meters and interesting harmonies, their sound never fails to exude the excitement and groove of Philadelphia’s funky and gritty music scene.