Formed in Buffalo, New York, in 1974 by Jay Beckenstein and Jeremy Wall, Spyro Gyra is a commercially successful pop-jazz fusion group. Blending R&B, pop, Caribbean music, and jazz, they are known for hits like Morning Dance and multiple Grammy-nominated albums.
Grammy-winning R&B singer Anthony Hamilton, a native of Charlotte, North Carolina, rose to fame with his rugged yet graceful vocals. After early struggles with unreleased albums, he broke through with his platinum-certified 2003 release Comin' from Where I'm From and the hit song Charlene.
Grammy-winning R&B, soul, and jazz artist Chrisette Michele is a Long Island, New York native and 18-year music veteran. Best known for classic hits like A Couple of Forevers and Love Is You, she blends inspirational lyrics with her signature sound.
Grammy-winning jazz, soul, and gospel vocalist Gregory Porter is known for his warm baritone voice and acclaimed albums like Water, Liquid Spirit, and Take Me to the Alley. Raised in California, he launched his career in Brooklyn jazz clubs before releasing his debut in 2010.
Chicago-born R&B singer, songwriter, and producer Lalah Hathaway is a five-time Grammy winner who shares the record for most Best Traditional R&B Performance wins. Daughter of Donny Hathaway, she has released seven solo albums and collaborated with Pharrell Williams, Kendrick Lamar, and Dr. Dre.
Black Violin is a genre-defying duo featuring Kev Marcus and Wil Baptiste, who met in a Fort Lauderdale high school orchestra. They won Showtime at the Apollo in 2005 and earned Grammy nominations for their album Take the Stairs and the song The Message.
GRAMMY-winning trumpeter and songwriter Keyon Harrold, born in Ferguson, Missouri, is hailed as the future of the trumpet by Wynton Marsalis. His cinematic music blends jazz, classical, rock, blues, and hip hop, featuring collaborations with artists like Robert Glasper and Gary Clark, Jr.
Grammy-winning house music DJ and producer Louie Vega blends salsa, afro-beat, jazz, hip hop, gospel, and soul. Known as a leader in global dance music, he is part of the Masters At Work production team with Kenny Dope Gonzalez and has earned seven Grammy nominations.
Babyface is a 13-time GRAMMY-winning recording artist, songwriter, and producer. He co-founded LaFace Records, launching careers for Usher and TLC. He released multi-platinum albums like Tender Lover and wrote massive hits for top icons.
Born in Kent, Joss Stone is a British singer known for her powerful voice and vintage soul sound. Her debut album "The Soul Sessions" sold over five million copies, earning her acclaim and Grammy noms with "Mind, Body & Soul." She won a Grammy for "Family Affair" with John Legend and Van Hunt. Collaborations with Dave Stewart, Raphael Saadiq, and Betty Wright enriched her style. Her U.K. chart-topping albums include "Mind, Body & Soul" and "The Soul Sessions, Vol. 2." Stone also won The Masked Singer U.K. in 2021.
Grammy-nominated Philadelphia R&B duo Kindred the Family Soul consists of husband and wife Fatin Dantzler and Aja Graydon. Rooted in traditional soul and gospel, they released albums like Surrender to Love and The Arrival after signing with Hidden Beach through Jill Scott.
Born in Dayton, Ohio, disco singer CeCe Peniston was crowned Miss Black Arizona in 1989 and signed with A&M in the early 1990s. Her gold debut album, Finally, featured the hits Finally and We Got a Love Thang. She followed with Thought Ya Knew and I'm Movin' On, remaining a favorite in dance clubs worldwide.
Nashville-born, Detroit-raised R&B singer and producer KEM is a three-time Grammy nominee and multiplatinum icon. He is known for hit albums like Kemistry and Album II, alongside chart-topping singles such as Stuck On You, earning hundreds of millions of streams.
Born in Berlin and raised in Washington, D.C., Meshell Ndegeocello is a Grammy-winning multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and producer. Known for her virtuosic bass playing and genre-defying sound blending jazz, soul, funk, R&B, and rock, she debuted with the 1993 album Plantation Lullabies and earned widespread acclaim across a diverse, prolific catalog.
Swiss contemporary jazz keyboard player Alex Bugnon, nephew of Donald Byrd, studied at the Paris Conservatory and Berklee. After backing artists like Patti Austin, he debuted with 1989's Love Season, hitting the R&B charts, followed by several successful albums.
Born in Los Angeles, R&B and soul singer Leela James debuted with 2005's A Change Is Gonna Come. Known for her gritty vocals and personal songwriting, she has released several Billboard-charting albums and earned Soul Train and NAACP Image Award nominations.
Jodeci is an influential R&B group consisting of K-Ci, DeVante Swing, JoJo, and Mr. Dalvin. They have sold over 20 million records and earned three number-one Billboard Top R&B albums with Forever My Lady, Diary Of A Mad Band, and The Show, The After Party, The Hotel.
R&B singer, songwriter, and producer Jon B. debuted in 1995 with Bonafide, featuring the hit Someone to Love with Babyface. His 1997 platinum album Cool Relax yielded major hits like They Don't Know. He has also written songs for Toni Braxton and the Spice Girls.
Teedra Moses is a Californian R&B singer-songwriter known for her 2004 debut "Complex Simplicity." She co-wrote Christina Milian's hit "Dip It Low" and collaborated with Raphael Saadiq and Kaytranada. Her music blends gospel fervor with contemporary R&B, and her second album "Cognac & Conversation" charted in 2015. Moses' notable works include "Be Your Girl" and appearances on Grammy-winning projects.
Lori Williams, jazz/R&B vocalist praised by Dianne Reeves & Terri Lyne Carrington; known for soulful, creamy “five S’s” style; song: “Too Late (It’s My Time)”; lauded by Biden.
Washington, D.C.-born alto saxophonist, vocalist, and composer Braxton Cook blends contemporary/post-bop jazz with soul, funk, rap, and gospel. Albums include Somewhere in Between and No Doubt; a Nettwerk artist who’s worked with Christian Scott aTunde Adjua and Mac Miller.
Born in Detroit, El DeBarge is the falsetto voice of ’80s R&B group DeBarge, known for hits “All This Love,” “Rhythm of the Night” and solo “Who’s Johnny?” (Short Circuit).
Born in Detroit, the Jones Girls added Midwest flavor to Philly soul. Known for late '70s and early '80s hits like "You Gonna Make Me Love Somebody Else," they worked with Gamble and Huff. Their tight harmonies likened them to the Pointer Sisters and Emotions. Collaborated with icons like Diana Ross and Aretha Franklin.
GRAMMY-nominated trumpeter, composer, producer and bandleader Theo Croker pushes modern jazz, blending experimental hip-hop and cosmic soul. Known for DREAM MANIFEST and songs “We Still Wanna Dance,” “High Vibrations,” and “Crystal Waterfalls.”
Marqueal Jordan is a Los Angeles-born, Chicago-based saxophonist and vocalist. Known for his smooth, soulful blend of Contemporary Jazz, R&B, and Hip Hop, his albums include "Catalyst," "Intention & Purpose," and "All We Have Are Moments." He achieved Billboard chart success with singles like "Sistas" and "The Edge" and has collaborated with numerous artists, including Brian Culbertson. He is celebrated for his compelling live performances.
Los Angeles-born contemporary R&B singer Karyn White broke through with her 1988 self-titled debut (produced by L.A. Reid & Babyface), selling over 2 million and spawning R&B No. 1s The Way You Love Me, Superwoman, and Love Saw It.
Ohio R&B/quiet storm band Switch (ex-White Heat/Hot-Ice): backed Barry White; Motown/Gordy deal via Jermaine Jackson; Top 10 “There’ll Never Be,” “I Call Your Name.”
Merriweather Post Pavilion
