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Artist Profiles

Vinson Hekselman Sanchez

Vinson Hekselman Sanchez

This week on our jazz cafe feature I wanted to do something a little different. I wanted to feature this super jazz trio and their album, Trio Grande. Each of the members of this supergroup is sought-after jazz musicians but together they are something else. All of the members are band leaders and between them have more than 50 years of playing and composing experience. Will Vinson is a British alto and soprano saxophonist who relocated to our hometown of New York City from L

Shunaji

Shunaji

Nothing gets me amped up more than hearing the music of a new up-and-coming singer-songwriter. I was completely entranced with this Neo-Soul singer, Shunaji, and her debut EP, Cosmic Blues. She was born and raised in Rome, Italy and later she moved to London, U.K. Shunaji is very knowledgeable in many subjects and this polymath can go into detail about ancient history. Before moving to England she wasn't really making music but something about London and the music that was a

Kathrine Windfeld Big Band

Kathrine Windfeld Big Band

When you think of big band music you may be thinking Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, and others. Nowadays big band has changed and this Danish pianist is leading the way. Kathrine Windfeld born in Svendborg on Funen in Denmark studied jazz music at the Department of Musicology in Copenhagen and jazz composition at the Swedish jazz school, Fridhems Folkhogskola. Since she was a teenager she was always creating either by painting, singing, or piano playing. Since 2

Janne Mark

Janne Mark

Many people when they talk about musicians they very rarely mention the human voice as an instrument. Singers or vocalists can do incredible sounds with their voices. This singer-songwriter and composer, Janne Mark whose instrument is her voice is one talented musician. Born and raised in Struer, Denmark she has been active in her church choir, and singing hymns is what excites her about music. She grew up in a home that didn't really play a lot of music but she listened to 8

De Beren Gieren

De Beren Gieren

Life is always interesting when you come across a jazz artist whose music has different elements to it that you have to listen to. This electro-piano trio from Ghent, Belgium, De Beren Gieren has been making music since 2009. They have released 5 albums and 2 EPs. In the same year that the band got together, they won the Young Jazz Talent competition at the Gent Jazz Festival. The trio has been playing together for over a decade and can read each other's musical language but

Noah Young

Noah Young

This talented bass player is a founding member of the jazz/funk group, Naughty Professor. A band that has released 3 albums and formed in 2010. He originates from Vermont and at the age of 12 started playing bass guitar. At 19 he decided to move to New Orleans and there he truly established himself in playing with the best. He studied jazz formally at both the University of New Orleans and Loyola University. He has studied with many legends of jazz and for the past several

James Brandon Lewis

James Brandon Lewis

Free jazz emerged during the late 1950s and became popular by the '60s as a new way for jazz artists to express themselves with more improvisation. Today many new jazz artists have been playing this style because of the freedom it gives them to express themselves musically without structures. Jazz saxophonist and composer James Brandon Lewis is one such artist. Born in Buffalo, New York he was raised in the church and thus began his musical journey. He has been a sideman for

Aquiles Navarro

Aquiles Navarro

Jazz trumpeter, Aquiles Navarro is an exciting jazz artist to keep your eyes on. He is not only a musician but also a DJ and mixes jazz with music from his Panamanian heritage of salsa, reggae, and folkloric music. The groove created will make you want to get up and dance. He studied jazz trumpet in his native Panama and when he arrived in the U.S. he studied and graduated with a degree in Jazz Performance from the New England Conservatory and a Master's degree from the Unive

Puma Blue

Puma Blue

Jazz is an ever-evolving music genre and today more and more artists are mixing certain music genres that were unheard of before. All in all, there are now over 50 jazz styles, and more keep being added. This jazz multi-instrumentalist has added another style, lo-fi R&B jazz. He goes by the name Puma Blue real name Jacob Allen and he's been making his rounds in the London jazz scene. "Music was always played around the house and in the car," says Puma Blue which first had him

Bastien Keb

Bastien Keb

Bastien Keb real name, Seb Jones is a multi-instrumentalist from Leamington Spa in England and currently residing in Peckham. His love of music especially jazz fusion, psychedelic 70's funk, and soul create some otherworldly sounds. He is a guitarist first and foremost but also plays trumpet, bass, drums, and flute. He not only plays his instruments but also sings, produces, and engineers his own records. He made his debut in 2015 with the album, Dinking In The Shadows of Zi

Noise In Your Eye

Noise In Your Eye

There are many purists of specific music genres but if you keep your mind open you can discover great new artists. Noise In Your Eye is one such duo. The band consists of Adrian Chivers and Daniel Pennie both are based in Wiltshire, England. Their approach to music is mixing Jazz elements with classical, improvisation, and fusion of different styles. It can range from a funky groove to classical strings and everything in between. Both Adrian Chivers and Daniel Pennie are comp

Johanna Burnheart

Johanna Burnheart

In searching for new Jazz artists I stumbled upon this talented jazz violinist. Johanna Burnheart is one of the first undergraduate jazz violinist at the Guildhall School of Music in London, England. The school is known as one of the few European conservatories that offer degrees in jazz violin. Originally from Frankfurt, Germany, her music is a mix of electronic club music, jazz to avant-garde and beyond. She started playing the piano at age 5 and violin when she was 7. She

Salomea

Salomea

This indie singer-songwriter, composer has been making the rounds throughout Europe and has an interesting combination of sounds. Her name is Rebekka Salomea and her band is her namesake, Salomea from Cologne, Germany. Rebekka Salomea was born in the town of Herbolzheim, Germany, and has been based in Cologne. She does not like to categorize her music and basically labels herself as a "contemporary multi-genre melting pot." The band made their debut in 2018 with their self-ti

Rebekah Reid

Rebekah Reid

The resurgence of jazz and it's popularity among the younger generation is so refreshing. Many like this young violinist are mixing jazz with either music from where they originate from or with classical music. Rebekah Reid from London, U.K. has been playing the violin since she was a child. When she was three years old she was listening to an orchestral record that her mother was playing in their living room, she became fixated on the sound. Once her mother figured out what

Bernhard Meyer

Bernhard Meyer

In researching Jazz music I found that there are many sub-genres of Jazz, some I didn't even know existed. Jazz bassist Bernhard Meyer is an up and coming artist who mixes Jazz with what is now called NuJazz. Mixing traditional jazz sounds with electronic sounds. Bernhard Meyer was born in the town of Zug in Switzerland and like most musicians starting playing at a young age. He and his brother Peter who is also a guitarist play together in their band, Melt Trio. Bernhard Mey

Demae

Demae

Singer-songwriter, producer, Demae has been creating quite a stir on Soundcloud with her smooth vocals and style. Demae Chioma Wodu was born in North London, U.K., she cut her teeth in the music biz by being a part of the hip-hop group, Hawk House with their eclectic mix and adventurous sounds. Since then Demae has been putting out her own versions of songs by Minnie Ripperton and Andre 3000 and others. She has caught the attention of singer-songwriter, Jill Scott and others.

Alina Bzhezhinska

Alina Bzhezhinska

When you first hear of the harp you picture hearing beautiful musical landscapes. Jazz harpist Alina Bzhezhinska makes her harp play some funky groove sounds that you wouldn't expect from this beautiful instrument. Originally from Ukraine, Alina Bzhezhinska first started studying art and classical music at a young age in Poland. It was her discovering Alice Coltrane's music that steered her into jazz music and into daring new directions. She plays her harp like a pianist woul

Ulf Wakenius

Ulf Wakenius

Happy New Year and a new year of featured indie jazz artists. I first came upon this jazz guitarist when I heard his cover of the Beatles song, Eleanor Rigby. I thought it was a very different interpretation from others I've heard, so I had to check out more. Ulf Wakenius is a Swedish jazz guitarist from the city of Halmstad but raised in Gothenburg. He started playing guitar from a young age and is self-taught. He later studied music at the Gothenburg Conservatoire. He was

Danny Keane

Danny Keane

This exciting multi-instrumentalist has finally made his debut. His name, Danny Keane from London, U.K. has been playing for several years with some of the best in Jazz and with well-known world music musicians. He grew up in a musical family that spanned the arts from Ballet to Irish folk music, no wonder he became a musician, it was already in the genes. At 8 years old he started taking formal lessons on the cello but he felt he wanted to learn more because of the sounds h

George Burton

George Burton

I first learned about this talented jazz pianist from a family member. George Burton was playing at a club here in NYC called, Drom. The band was tight that night and his playing was outstanding which blew me away. George Burton was born in Philadelphia, a city known for its R&B/Soul and jazz roots. He grew up playing classical violin and viola and at home, he was listening to blues and gospel. While in high school in he started playing with hard-bop legend, Bootsie Barnes,