SHOWTIMES: 7:30PM AND 9:30PM. Two-time GRAMMY-nominated trumpeter, composer, arranger and producer Russell Gunn returns with one of his most ambitious statements yet: Afrikan-Amerikan Book of the Dead: The Book of Going Forth By Any Means Necessary, a provocative seven-song work that draws inspiration from the ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead and reimagines the idea of a spiritual guide through the history, identity, resilience and forward movement of Black Americans. Featuring six original Gunn compositions and a Duke Ellington classic, the project brings together the fearless musical language that has defined Gunn’s career—jazz steeped in the Black musical continuum, alive with gospel, funk, hip-hop, groove and uncompromising improvisation. The album also introduces Blackhawk, Gunn’s hand-selected ensemble whose name pays tribute to Miles Davis’ legendary In Person Friday and Saturday Nights at the Blackhawk, the recording Gunn credits with profoundly shaping his understanding of how jazz should feel. At its heart, however, Afrikan-Amerikan Book of the Dead is not a meditation on death, but an affirmation of life: music concerned with knowing who you are, understanding what came before you and moving forward with purpose, pride and possibility. On October 16 and 17, The Velvet Note Signature Series welcomes Russell Gunn + Blackhawk for an extraordinary album-release weekend, placing this powerful new music exactly where it belongs—in an intimate room, just feet from the audience, alive and unfolding in real time.