Award-winning contemporary jazz and R&B guitarist Norman Brown rose to fame with his 1992 debut Just Between Us. Known for his mellow, romantic style, he won a Grammy Award for 2002's Just Chillin' and formed the smooth jazz supergroup BWB.
R&B singer and instrumentalist Stokley Williams co-founded the group Mint Condition in the early '80s. Alongside his decades with the band, he has collaborated with Prince, Janet Jackson, and Elton John, earned a Grammy nomination for his 2011 duet Not My Daddy with Kelly Price, and made his solo debut in 2017 with Introducing Stokley.
Born in Washington, D.C., R&B singer Ginuwine rose to fame in the 1990s through his collaboration with producer Timbaland, scoring major hits like Pony and So Anxious. His multi-platinum albums include Ginuwine...The Bachelor, 100% Ginuwine, and The Life.
Born Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz, three-time Grammy Award winner Fantastic Negrito is known for his resilience and contemporary blues music. He won the inaugural NPR Tiny Desk Contest in 2015, has collaborated with artists like Sting, and founded an urban farm for youth education.
Buffalo-born singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Brian McKnight has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. Known for hits like Back at One, he has earned numerous Grammy nominations and collaborated with top artists. Signed at 19, his acclaimed albums include Anytime and his self-titled debut.
Baltimore-born jazz-soul singer Maysa Leak studied classical voice at Morgan State University and sang with Stevie Wonder's Wonderlove. She gained prominence as a lead vocalist for the British funk-jazz group Incognito before launching a successful solo career.
The Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL), established in Dallas, Texas, in 1977 by Curtis King, is a cultural organization dedicated to supporting African Americans in the visual and performing arts. It fosters understanding of African, African-American, and Caribbean arts and letters. TBAAL preserves and promotes Black art and culture, offering a platform for diverse artistic expression. The organization was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 2015.
Based in Washington, D.C., The String Queens is a soulful, orchestral trio known for performances at major US venues. They performed at the 2021 Presidential Inauguration and Wimbledon, and released their third album, RISE, in 2022 via a Sphinx Organization grant.
A premier three-day music festival held at Fair Park in Dallas, Texas, featuring renowned international and local artists performing jazz, blues, R&B, soul, and neo-soul music across multiple stages.
