In a jazz climate that rewards neo-conservative tributes and farflung exercises in deconstruction, David Weiss has distinguished himself another way: through finding flexibility and innovation in music that has its roots in the mainstream. The trumpeter, composer, and arranger has had the opportunity to learn from some of the music’s quintessential figures by touring and/or recording with the likes of Freddie Hubbard, Charles Tolliver, Bobby Hutcherson, Slide Hampton, James Moody, Tom Harrell, Louis Hayes, Randy Weston and Christian McBride among many others. Weiss has been a major catalyst and creator of some of the most critically acclaimed and respected jazz to have been released over the years. In his various roles of trumpeter, composer, arranger, producer, talent-scout, historian and bandleader - he currently leads The Cookers, The New Jazz Composers Octet, Endangered Species, Point of Departure, and the David Weiss Sextet - it is certainly not an exaggeration to call Weiss a jazz renaissance man. Weiss was also the creative force behind the revitalized careers of Freddie Hubbard, Charles Tolliver and others. When Words Fail is the David Weiss Sextet's first album in almost ten years, and the long-awaited follow up to The Mirror (which John Kelman of AllAboutJazz called, "A masterpiece by any definition . . . an album that is heady in both senses of the word - intelligent and exhilarating - Weiss emerges as one of the finest artists to mine the post bop arena").