Delbert Anderson is a Diné jazz trumpet artist, composer, and educator based in Farmington, New Mexico. Born on the Navajo Reservation in Shiprock and raised within the Diné Nation, Anderson discovered his connection to music early—singing and playing drums in church—before going on to study trumpet performance and music education at Eastern New Mexico University. Today he works across performance, composition, community education, and cultural preservation, and describes himself as a healing artist: "I heal communities and individuals with my Diné way of life, knowledge and wisdom so that everyone can live their lives through Hózhó (Beauty, Balance, Harmony)."
The heart of Anderson's music is the Navajo "spinning song"—improvised melodies once sung in Diné social circles to govern the social world of love, healing, and courtship. The path to that sound came from a tape he found at a library in Aztec, New Mexico: recordings of spinning songs chanted by Navajo chiefs that redirected the course of his work. Through the Delbert Anderson Quartet, Anderson brings those melodies into conversation with jazz, funk, and hip-hop. The quartet's current lineup includes pianist and keyboardist Robert Muller, drummer Khalill Brown (Blackfoot and Cherokee), and bassist Evan Suiter, a group whose collective range spans Indigenous music, neo-soul, fusion, and Latin jazz. All of Anderson's compositions are shaped by the Diné principles of Hózhó (harmony, beauty, and balance) and K'é (kinship), and draw from the landscapes and history of the Navajo Nation.
Anderson's project workl reflects that same commitment to history and community. The Long Walk: 1,674 Days is a durational composition performed over the span of 1,674 days in honor of the Navajo people's forced relocation from 1863 to 1868. Framed as a spiritual meditation and a metaphoric journey, each performance invites musicians, singers, and community members to reflect on that history together. A separate project—currently in development—is a tribute to Native American jazz icons Don Cherry (Choctaw) and Jim Pepper (Kaw and Muscogee Creek), featuring Quartet members alongside guest artists, with Anderson compositions written in homage alongside classic Cherry and Pepper material.
His education and outreach work runs parallel to his performance career. The "Build A Band" program teaches jazz improvisation to young students through a Diné and family curriculum, supported by wellness programming and community initiatives. Anderson also works as a speaker and leadership presenter, bringing his perspective as a Diné culture bearer to audiences beyond the concert stage.
Anderson's work has received support and recognition from Chamber Music America, the First Peoples Fund Cultural Capital Fellowship, Creative Capital, and South Arts' Jazz Road Program. His music and story have been covered in The New York Times, JazzTimes, Grammy.com, and NPR. His most recent recording, DAQ Live at Kuumbwa Jazz, was recorded live in August 2024.
