California native, Alizabeth Jackson moved to Maryland in 2001 to study opera with Dr. William Beall (Peabody Conservatory of Music). She transitioned into jazz and contemporary music two years later and began writing, recording and performing in local venues. Alizabeth owned a studio in Easton, MD where she did a portion of her recording, often... [+] Read More

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The classical tradition meets the spontaneity of jazz through the virtuosic playing of Brazil-born and New York-based pianist Eliane Elias. A former member of jazz ensemble Steps Ahead, Elias has continued to explore two distinct musical streams through her solo recordings and her performances for the past decade. In 1993, she became one of the... [+] Read More

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Although her recording career has been somewhat erratic, Cassandra Wilson became one of the top jazz singers of the '90s, a vocalist blessed with a distinctive and flexible voice who is not afraid to take chances. She began playing piano and guitar when she was nine and was working as a vocalist by the mid-'70s, singing a wide variety of... [+] Read More

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Veteran saxophonist plays alto and tenor from Detroit. A smooth, lyrical, melodic player somewhat similar to Johnny Hodges and Paul Desmond. A small group player. ~ Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide

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Canadian vocalist Holly Cole isn't one of those artists who falls into any one category. Her smoky voice is sultry, yet she's ironically humorous and candid while reshaping traditional standards and pop classics. Jazz is her bedrock, but not exclusively.

Cole was a New Year's baby born in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1963. She was... [+] Read More

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Jazz vocalist Joya Sherrill was one of Duke Ellington's favorite vocalists. Not only did he praise her clear diction and articulation, Ellington worked with Sherrill throughout the '40s. In turn, Sherrill worked with Ellington alumni like Rex Stewart and Ray Nance into the '60s, and albums like 1965's Sings Duke reunited her with Ellington's... [+] Read More

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Kevin Mahogany's sudden prominence in the mid-'90s was a relief to many who felt that male jazz singers under the age of 60 were non-existent. His swinging style is reminiscent, but not derivative of, Joe Williams. Mahogany played piano, clarinet, and various saxophones while growing up before deciding to specialize in singing. He attended Baker... [+] Read More

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One of the few male jazz singers from the baby boom generation, Kurt Elling is an anomaly simply by profession. Given the depth and broad vision of his recordings and performance style, Elling is in a league of his own. Planning a career in the academic world, he discovered jazz and took to it naturally. Deeply influenced by singer and poet Mark... [+] Read More

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Vocalist Lizz Wright delivers a sultry R&B performance that's divinely layered in gospel and jazz, and keenly similar to the work of Oleta Adams and Jill Scott. Wright was born in early 1980 in the Georgia town of Hahira, and her musical tastes blossomed early on. Her father served as the pianist and musical director at the local church, and he... [+] Read More

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Marian McPartland has become famous for hosting her Piano Jazz radio program since 1978, but she was a well-respected pianist decades before. She played in a four-piano vaudeville act in England and performed on the European continent for the troops during World War II. In Belgium in 1944, she met cornetist Jimmy McPartland and they soon... [+] Read More

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A native and resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, Suzanne Pittson is a risk-taking jazz singer and lyricist who often thinks like a horn player. In fact, she has cited sax greats Michael Brecker and John Coltrane as some of her major influences. Pittson (who can be a sensitive interpreter of lyrics or an intellectual, cerebral scat singer)... [+] Read More

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