ARTIST PROFILES

As we come to a close for the year, what a way to end our Jazz Cafe 2022 with this jazz-soul band from Denver, Colorado. Bttrfly Quintet features Grammy-nominated drummer Adam Deitch and Grammy-winning trumpeter Eric "Benny " Bloom who you may recognize as members of Lettuce. Their mix of music is jazz with a futuristic soul sound. It's definitely funky and you must give it a listen. There have been plenty of bands that have members who are famous in their own right, for exam

This past year there have been many great releases by jazz artists and this is one of them. Anthony Strong from Surrey, U.K. has released a new album that is such as pleasure to listen to. He studied music at the Royal Academy of Music and received his bachelor's degree in jazz piano from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He has worked as a sideman for many artists including Michael Bolton, Jocelyn Brown, Charlotte Church, and others. His music is a mix of jazz and po

Every musician has their own style of how they compose, arrange or write. Spaniard jazz drummer Iago Fernández composes as if he is writing poetry. He does actually write poetry and loves to paint. He has been performing since he was 18 years old and his musical influences range from jazz to Radiohead, classical music, and popular music from both Brazil and Spain. He has performed at many well-known jazz festivals all over the world. As a sideman, he has recorded over 40 wor

I'm sure you will all agree that the sound of a saxophone is so soothing. It's how I felt when listening to jazz guitarist, Jussi Reijonen's song. This talented artist from Finland is not just a guitarist but also plays the Arabic oud. He can play both fretted and fretless guitars. He grew up in several places other than his native country of Finland but also in the Middle East and East Africa. The experience of living in those different countries with their native music has

Korean-born bassist SeaJun Kwon loves to compose in what he calls quiet chaos. He's been composing this way for quite some time. His jazz group consists of Aaron Dutton on Alto sax Jacob Shulman on Tenor saxophone, Michael Juba Prentsky on trombone, Michael Juba and Jacob Hiser on piano, Charles Weller and Amery Logan on drums, and SeaJun Kwon himself on bass. The band likes to explore the liminal spaces in composition/improvisation and chaos/order. When listening to their re

When you first listen to the jazz band Baiana you may think they are from Brazil but are from Liverpool, U.K. The band consists of lead singer Laura Doyle who spent several years living in Brazil and loved the music and the people of Rio de Janeiro. The music is a mix of jazz, funk, and pop. The band's name Baiana means Bahia women. The band has caught the attention of well-known BBC DJ and Brownswood Recordings owner, Gilles Peterson who loves them. The band had made their d

At first, you may think this is an electronica artist or a manual on robot hands, but no it's a solo project of multi-instrumentalist, Andy Baxter from London, the U.K. who is professionally known as Robohands. He loves mixing jazz and experimenting with different genres. His first album had jazz mixed with krautrock and ambient music. The mix of all those styles together creates some amazing beats and music. He released his debut album, Green in 2018. Listen to the song Lost

If you want to listen to jazz that is fun and has great musicality then search no more. The Balimaya Project a 16-piece band is winning fans all over the world. The band was started by percussionist, Yahael Camara Onono in London, U.K. in 2019. The music is a mix of West African folk music and U.K. jazz. It's fun and energetic and reminds me of the jazz band Kokoroko. The band uses instruments from the Mandé people of Senegal and Mali. Since their inception, they wanted to br

At first, when I heard the name of his album I thought, is this jazz saxophonist doing a jazz remake of Pete Townshend's song Face the Face? I was intrigued to check it out and I was pleasantly surprised by this album. Jeremy Rose is a saxophonist from Sydney, Australia he only plays the sax but also is a bass clarinetist and piano player. He is like most musicians who started playing in childhood. His parents introduced him to jazz and world music with their record collectio

This jazz-funk band Surprise Chef I will say live up to its name because they are full of surprises musically. The band originates in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The band consists of Lachlan Stuckey on guitar, Jethro Curtin on keyboards, Carl Lindeberg on bass, Andrew Congues on drums, and newest member Hudson Whitlock on percussion and composing. The band mixes jazz with some serious funk grooves that are infectious. The members came together in 2018 and have been going

In celebration of National Hispanic Heritage Month, our featured artist Nick Hakim creates music that is otherworldly to me. I came across his music and I had that moment where I had to know who the singer was. Nick Hakim born in Washington D.C. and now based here in Brooklyn, NY has been making the type of music you can listen to all day. His music is a mix of soul with a folk hybrid that's so smooth you fall in love. Nick Hakim grew up in a household with diverse musical in

Braxton Cook is being touted as an emerging jazz singer-songwriter/saxophonist to watch. He graduated from Julliard and has played with such jazz luminaries as Christian McBride, Christian Scott, and Jon Batiste. His music is a hybrid of jazz mixed with soul and alternative R&B. He has toured around the world and released several albums before being signed to Nettwerk Records. Born in Boston, Massachusettes, this talented jazz saxophonist is also a multi-instrumentalist and v

There is one instrument that just hypnotizes me when I hear it. After listening to jazz vibraphonist, Sasha Berliner I was hooked. She was born and raised in San Francisco, California, and is now based here in New York City. This super-talented artist has jazz fans enthralled with her music. Sasha Berliner did not start out as a jazz musician she was first a rock drummer who switched to the vibraphone. While in high school and as part of the jazz program she was introduced to

Indie jazz double bassist Avishai Cohen has been wowing audiences around the world. He comes from a musical family where music just runs in the blood. He was born in Kibbutz Kabri, Israel to a family of mixed origins from Spain, Greece, and Poland. He started playing piano at age 9 but after listening to the music of legendary jazz bassist Jaco Pastorius he switched to bass guitar. He left Isreal by age 22 and moved here to NYC to pursue his career. While working odd jobs he

I know that two weeks in a row I have featured jazz drummers and I can't help it but I'm a drum and bass fanatic. It's important to note that jazz drummer Billy Drummond (real name Willis Robert Drummond Jr.)is one of the most well-known jazz drummers out there. He has recorded and played with the best. Billy Drummond's interest in jazz started at a young age after listening to his father's jazz collection. His father was an amateur drummer and huge jazz enthusiast. He starte

There used to be a time when you really didn't see women playing the drums but nowadays that's all changed. Meet jazz drummer extraordinaire Sarah Thawer from Toronto, Canada. To see her perform is watching art in motion. Her beats are just sick and at the same time mesmerizing. She started playing at age 2 and performing on stage by age 5. She is a free spirit and does not limit herself when it comes to jazz. She also has played a variety of drums from the tabla, Indian con

Jazz guitarist, Kurt Rosenwinkel says that he plays until he finds something he can develop. This strategy has played well for this talented jazz composer who likes to give room to stretch out while performing with other jazz musicians. A native of Pennslyvania he started taking guitar lessons early at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts and went to Berklee College of Music but didn't complete his studies to go on tour. When an opportunity comes

Brazilian jazz drummer, Mario Gaiotto has been playing with many jazz artists for years now. He has played with such jazz artists as Toninho Ferragutti, Spok, Teco Cardoso, and many more. Living in São Paulo, Brazil the city has many different cultures all living without borders. As a drummer, you are in tune with sounds and many drummers incorporate those sounds in their drumming. I know of one such rock legend, drummer Neil Peart who built a raft and would put his drums on

Singer-songwriter, Waterofelegance has been creating a buzz in the industry with her mix of jazzy R&B and Soul. Originally from Jacksonville Florida, she started singing at the age of 6 and early on decided to pursue a music career. Things have not been easy for her because she refuses to follow what some perceive to be a standard for female singers. The standard is that you should be wearing short dresses or skirts and showing skin to gain attention but Waterofelegance does

I'm a great lover of piano solos that can take your breath away. Jazz pianist, Fred Hersch did just that when I listened to his latest song Begin Again. A beautiful composition that blew me away. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio this talented musician, educator, and activist for HIV/AIDS has been making mesmerizing music since he was eight years old. At age 4 he began playing the piano. He won several piano competitions by the age of ten. Later while attending Grinnell College in Iow