Grammy-winning bassist, composer, and producer Marcus Miller is known for his contemporary jazz, funk, and R&B. Emerging as a prolific session musician, he gained acclaim playing with Miles Davis in the 1980s. Miller has released numerous acclaimed solo albums and composed film scores.
Cleveland-born Joshua Karpeh, known as Cautious Clay, is a multi-instrumentalist fusing R&B, indie pop, and jazz. His soulful songwriting is heard on hits like "Cold War" and "Wildfire." He has collaborated with John Mayer and John Legend, and Taylor Swift interpolated his work. Albums include "Deadpan Love," "Karpeh," and "The Hours" trilogy, which completed in 2026.
Matthew Whitaker is a New York-based jazz organist and pianist known for blending the Hammond B-3 tradition with gospel harmony and big-band arrangements. He has released four albums, including Outta the Box and On Their Shoulders, and collaborated with groups like the WDR Big Band and The 8-Bit Big Band.
The Soul Rebels are an eight-member collective known for eclectic horn-and-drum live shows and collaborations with artists like Nas, G-Eazy, and Katy Perry. They scored music for Disney’s Haunted Mansion, appeared on the Girls Trip soundtrack, and released the album Poetry In Motion.
Herbie Hancock is a legendary jazz innovator and former member of the Miles Davis Quintet. He released the record-breaking funk and rock album Headhunters and the electronic hit Rockit. He has earned 14 Grammy Awards, an Academy Award, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Kennedy Center Honor.
Bronx native Samara Joy won the 2019 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition in college. She released her debut album in 2021, followed by Linger Awhile and Portrait, earning Grammy and NAACP Image Awards for her acclaimed vocal jazz work.
Bill Charlap is a New York-born jazz pianist, post-bop improvisor, and interpreter of standards. Known for his trio with Peter Washington and Kenny Washington, he won a Grammy for his 2015 collaboration with Tony Bennett, Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, and has recorded with artists including Dee Dee Bridgewater and his mother, Sandy Stewart.
Nanaimo, BC-born jazz pianist/singer blending Songbook elegance with bossa/pop. Broke through w/ “All for You”; Grammy & Juno winner; worked w/ LiPuma, Bennett.
Grammy-nominated Afro-Cuban artist Cimafunk blends funk, Latin, and electronic music. Known for his 9-piece band La Tribu and energetic performances at Coachella and Lollapalooza, he debuted with Terapia in 2018 and released El Alimento in 2021.
Havana-born Afro-Cuban rumba and Yoruba artist Pedrito Martinez moved to NYC in 1998. Founder of Yerba Buena and leader of The Pedrito Martinez Group (formed 2008); debut earned a 2013 Grammy nomination. Collaborators include Wynton Marsalis, Paul Simon, Eric Clapton.
French Caribbean singer-bassist & fashion icon Adi Oasis blends funky bass, soaring vocals + retro-futurist soul; “Lotus Glow” hit 200M streams; toured w/ Lenny Kravitz.
The Newport Jazz Festival, founded in 1954 by Elaine Lorillard and George Wein, revolutionized live jazz. It is celebrated for its open-minded embrace of jazz's evolution, from traditional to avant-garde, and its expansion into rock, soul, and other genres. The festival is renowned for launching careers and hosting legendary artists, with many iconic performances captured on record and film.
Chilean jazz vocalist Claudia Acuña, a Santiago native, discovered jazz at 15. She moved to New York in 1995, became a regular at clubs like Smalls and Sweet Basil, and collaborated with bassist Avishai Cohen. Her Verve debut, The Wind From the South, arrived in 2000.
Scary Goldings is a Los Angeles-based funk collective, a collaboration between keyboardist Larry Goldings and the internet sensations Scary Pockets. Known for their instrumental funk and jazz-funk style, they deliver heavy grooves and well-crafted tunes. They have collaborated with notable artists like John Scofield, MonoNeon, and Louis Cole. Albums include "The Holy Enchilada" and "Scary Goldings IV." They are recognized for their vibrant fusion of jazz and funk.
Somi (Somi Kakoma) is a Midwest-raised jazz vocalist, composer, actor, and playwright with Ugandan and Rwandan roots. Her Grammy-nominated Holy Room: Live at Alte Oper made her the first African woman nominated in any Grammy jazz category.
