ARTIST PROFILES

Have you ever heard a song and needed to know who the singer was? Well this singer-songwriter from Eugene, Oregon captured my attention with her song, Have You Thought About Dying Today. Her voice reminds me at times of Kate Bush especially on the chorus of the song. Since she was a young girl she has been part of musical groups, you could say music is in her blood. She moved from Oregon to Nashville to attend Middle Tennessee State University and graduated with a degree in

Discovering new artists and especially those that are double bass players is always exciting. Listening to jazz double bass player, Matt Ridley's album, The Antidote was mind-blowing. Based in London, U.K he started playing piano by age 6 and in his teens started playing bass guitar. He started playing professionally by age 19. Matt Ridley is a child of the '90s and fell in love with the electric bass just watching Flea of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers he also loves Pearl Jam an

When an artist gives me the chills I'm excited. Listening to this very talented saxophonist, composer and vocalist were mind-blowing. Fabia Mantwill from Berlin, Germany has been on the jazz scene for some time. She has been gaining international recognition with her orchestra which mixes jazz with classical and folk music. Although there are selections that mix contemporary jazz with African rhythms and other music genres. She was destined to have a music career from a very

I am so happy that this talented and silky-voiced jazz singer-songwriter is making his debut. Michael Mayo from Los Angeles, California has been performing on the jazz circuit for quite some time. I first heard his beautiful voice as the featured singer for the jazz group, Kneebody. Check out the song, What's My Name and you will understand why I love this singer's vocal delivery so much. I'm picky about jazz male singers but Michael Mayo just does it for me. He grew up with

I am a lover of the double bass, well the bass in general but the double bass is sexy. When I first heard the music of this talented jazz double bass player I had to investigate some more. Lars Danielsson Libretto from Gothenburg, Sweden first became mesmerized by this great instrument when he was at a concert watching jazz bass legend, Nils-Henning Ǿrsted Pedersen. It was then he decided to abandon his classical cello lessons and start playing the double bass. He didn't aban

Nubiyan Twist is a multi-genre jazz band from Leeds, England, and is based in London. They are not afraid to explore sounds from different parts of the world. Their leader and founder Tom Excell will tell you his band is never boring and is not strictly jazz. Tom Excell is classically trained on guitar and as anyone knows being classically trained is strict and no stepping outside of its rudimentary notes. It's probably one of the reasons why he decided to experiment. He met

You may not have heard of this talented pianist, composer, and bandleader but you will soon. Lisa Hilton from San Luis Obispo in California taught herself to play the keyboard at age six. It was a color-coded one and started writing songs at an early age. As with all pianists, she studied classical music but that all changed when in her teens she fell in love with jazz and the blues. She loved the music of Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, and Jellyroll Morton. She first composed

I stumbled upon this up-and-coming jazz saxophonist and love the vibe. Bear Garden aka Martin Wiren from Gallivare, Sweden is a composer and jazz saxophonist that is breaking boundaries in the jazz world. He has been playing the saxophone since he was a child and practiced for over two decades in his parent's garage. He decided to pursue his music career and moved to Stockholm where he lives now and studied at the Royal College of Music. His music is inspired by the Motown so

Today's artists seem to have a deep appreciation for those that came before them. Especially these young artists coming from England and Italy. This singer-songwriter and guitarist reminds me of singer Jamiroquai in his mix of styles with a jazz vibe. Oscar Jerome is an artist to watch and so many are paying attention to this Norwich-born and London-based singer-songwriter/guitarist. He studied at the same music conservatory(Trinity Laban) as legendary afro-beat saxophonist a

Keeping my ear to the streets lately has me super-excited about hearing up-and-coming singers that are creating sounds with the mixing of music genres but still keeping the traditional jazz vibe. This singer-songwriter is a triple threat, not only because she can sing but also as a producer and DJ. Emmavie Mbongo or simply Emmavie has been working the music scene in London. Her name seems to be on the lips of many in the music industry and several artists like Joe Budden, Jon

This indie jazz artist reminds me of legendary folk/rock singer, Joni Mitchell with her vocal style only a lot more soulful. Meet singer-songwriter, guitarist, Rosie Frater Taylor from London, U.K. Her balance of folk sounds and jazz are a pleasure to our ears. No surprise when I learned that Joni Mitchell is one of her musical inspirations along with John Mayer. She was raised in a music-intensive household with both her parents being musicians. Her rhythmic senses come fro

Jazz music is forever evolving and the jazz scenes that are happening in several parts of the world have jazz artists creating new styles and sounds while still staying true to their traditions. Jazz saxophonist and singer, Quinn Oulton has been making the rounds on the jazz scene, especially in his native London. He is also a multi-instrumentalist and a recent graduate of the Royal Academy of Music. He has been playing the saxophone since age 8 and grew up listening to not o

The smooth jazz grooves and vocals of this Scandinavian singer-songwriter will have you paying attention. Marie Dahlstrom from Roskilde, Denmark has been making music for the past 10 years but made her album debut in 2020. She has been labeled the Scandinavian NeoSoul singer to watch by many in the jazz world. Her music incorporates the genres of Soul, R&B, and Jazz that are soothing to your ears. When I first heard her song, Like Sand, and her debut album of the same name la

You may not have heard of this singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist but you have heard the songs he's produced. Terrace Martin from Los Angeles, California has been making the kind of music that melds hip-hop, jazz, and R&B. The sounds he creates are incredible and to see him live is an experience. Many people may not know this but legendary comedian, Jay Leno bought him his first saxophone as a kid. How's that for a start to your career! Growing up music was the norm

I first heard of this talented keyboardist from jazz artist Yussef Dayes and I've checked out his music and it has a real soulful groove. Kamaal Williams born Henry Wu from Peckham, U.K. is a multi-instrumentalist, DJ, and producer. He has always been artistic in one way or another. As a kid, he took an interest in Chinese calligraphy and later through his parent's graphic designs became interested in street graffiti. His love of music happened while in primary school and he

This talented up-and-coming guitarist has been making the rounds in the jazz world. Dan Wilson grew up in Akron, Ohio, and was active in his church. This is where his musical roots started. He graduated from Youngstown State University from their music program and wrote his thesis on Brazilian music. He says his musical influences growing up were Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Charlie Christian, and more. This guitarist can flow easily from jazz to blues, R&B, and gospel with

This duo has been making some sexy-sounding music for several years now. The Lo Greco Brothers(Enzo and Gianni) from Italy have been producing and collaborating with such top jazz artists as Ray Charles, DeeDee Bridgewater, Jobim as well as Elton John, and even Stevie Wonder. Enzo Lo Greco plays bass, electric bass, guitar, and piano as well as producing and composing. His brother Gianni is a drummer and percussionist and produces as well. Both of them are well sought after m

When I first heard this jazz saxophonist's music I was enamored with his sound. The beauty of his songs makes you feel relaxed and painting musical landscapes in your mind. The Norgewian jazz saxophonist born in Ardalstangen, Norway has been mixing different styles of music for quite sometime. His marriage of mixing jazz with folk music, and world music has me falling in love again. Karl Seglem has been making music since 1988 with several jazz groups and ensembles as well as

This jazz guitarist has been making music for the past decade. Hedvig Mollestad Thomassen hails from Norway and her music borders between jazz and rock. She studied at the Norwegian Academy of music and in 2009 she won the prestigious Jazz Talent Award at the Molde International Jazz Festival. She says her influences growing up were Black Sabbath, Led Zepplin, John Scofield, and Pat Metheny. All those influences rolled into one and she creates some loud and awesome combinatio

This jazz ensemble has a very interesting vibe. They actually refer to themselves as a spiritual jazz group. Jazz ensemble Menagerie out of Melbourne, Australia has been making the type of jazz music that you can meditate to. They are the brainchild of producer/DJ songwriter, Lance Ferguson. The group features some of the best musicians from Australia and the groove is similar to what we are hearing in jazz today. Mixing afro-beats, funk, soul, and free jazz movements, its s