​Little Rock, Arkansas, native Gabriel Wade is a versatile trumpeter, pianist, and educator with a rich performance history. He’s shared the stage with iconic ensembles and artists such as the Count Basie Orchestra and Bobby Watson, and Chicago staples like the Clif Wallace Big Band, Tom Garling Jazz Orchestra, Marlene Rosenberg Quartet, and the Afro-Caribbean Jazz Collective. As a sideman, he’s appeared at notable venues, colleges, and festivals across the United States, including Dazzle (Denver, CO), the Bop Stop (Cleveland, OH), Natalie’s Grandview (Colombus, OH), Winter’s Jazz Club (Chicago, IL), the Madison Center for the Arts (Phoenix, AZ), the Elmhurst Jazz Festival (Elmhurst, IL), and the Chicago Jazz Festival (Chicago, IL). As a bandleader, he has performed on stages including Chicago’s Fulton Street Collective, Andy’s Jazz Club, and the Jazz Showcase, and recently led his quintet in performances at North Street Cabaret (Madison, WI), Bar Centro (Milwaukee, WI), the Jazz Gallery Center for the Arts (Milwaukee, WI), the Epiphany Center for the Arts (Chicago, IL), and Merrimans’ Playhouse (South Bend, IN).

​Recent achievements include qualifying as a semi-finalist in the Jazz Improvisation Division for the International Trumpet Guild’s 2024, 2025, and 2026 Ryan Anthony Memorial Trumpet Competition, being selected for the 2024 Jazz Aspen Snowmass Academy Big Band led by Christian McBride, earning 1st place in the 2024 Tom Williams Jazz Division of the National Trumpet Competition, and being named an honorable mention recipient for the 2026 Luminarts Jazz Improvisation Fellowship.

​Gabriel is currently preparing for the release of his highly anticipated debut album, Gabriel Wade Quintet – Live at the Jazz Showcase Vol. 1. Slated for release on August 6, 2026, the live record captures the dynamic synergy of his working ensemble alongside longtime collaborators Jared Schultz (saxophone), Isaiah Jones Jr. (piano), Nat Lin (bass), and Sid Smith IV (drums). The album’s rollout has been highlighted by the recent releases of the singles “April 15th” and “The Journey.”

​Gabriel Wade is also an avid music educator, serving as Adjunct Professor of Trumpet at Harper College and College of DuPage, Trumpet Instructor for the Ravinia Lawndale Family Music School, Combo Instructor for the Milwaukee Jazz Institute, a teacher at the Northern Illinois University Community School of the Arts, and recently accepted a full-time position as Jazz Trumpet Professor at the Mead Witter School of Music at UW–Madison.