Technical Sergeant Fareed Simpson-Hankins is the split-lead trumpet player with the Airmen of Note. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he joined The United States Air Force in 2023.

His previous professional musical experience includes touring with Ms. Lauryn Hill and the Fugees for the 25th anniversary tour and performing with Bootsy Collins, Lil Wayne, Faith Evans, and Nas. He toured extensively with The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Arturo O’Farrill and The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, The Clayton-Hamilton Big Band, and The Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. He was featured on Brothers.Ink’s critically acclaimed album, “Cookin' With Jazz” and Temple University Studio Orchestra’s album “Constant Renaissance,” which was nominated for two GRAMMY awards.

In 2022, he produced and directed “The Second Line Bebop Series,” a film series that highlights cultural parallels between Philadelphia and New Orleans with a focus on jazz music. In 2023 his article titled “Second Line Bebop” highlighted the research through academia and was published in Indiana University Press: Jazz Education, Research and Practice.

Sgt. Simpson-Hankins earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree from The Boyer College of Music and Dance at Temple University. He was distinguished as the recipient of The Presser Award for Graduate Research Studies at the conclusion of his master’s program and returned to teach at the university as Artist In Residence.