New Orleans-born jazz drummer Herlin Riley is known for his propulsive post-bop and second-line style. He rose to prominence in the 1980s, playing with Ahmad Jamal and joining Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. He has released albums like Cream of the Crescent and New Direction.
New Orleans trumpeter and singer Kermit Ruffins co-founded the Rebirth Brass Band before forming Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers. Known for his exuberant live shows and sidewalk barbecues, he has released albums like World on a String, Swing This!, and Beautiful World.
Welsh singer and actress Judith Owen blends rock, pop, jazz, and blues, drawing on her musical family roots. Known for thirteen albums and global performances at venues like the Royal Albert Hall, she also co-hosts the annual Christmas Without Tears charity show.
Harry Shearer is a comedian, writer, and musician known for co-creating Spinal Tap and voicing numerous characters on The Simpsons. He rose to fame with the improv troupe the Credibility Gap, starred in This Is Spinal Tap as bassist Derek Smalls, and hosted the radio show Le Show.
Born in New Orleans, jazz saxophonist Donald Harrison is known for his hard-swinging style blending acoustic post-bop, traditional jazz, and R&B. A former member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, he has recorded acclaimed albums like Indian Blues and collaborated widely.
Bill Summers is a New Orleans percussionist who plays African and Cuban rhythms. A former R&B star ("Call It What You Want", 1981), he worked with Quincy Jones on Roots and The Color Purple and co-founded Los Hombres Calientes in 1998.
New Orleans-born trumpeter, keyboardist, and singer Nicholas Payton is a versatile jazz maverick known for blending acoustic post-bop with hip-hop, funk, and R&B. A Grammy winner for his work with Doc Cheatham, Payton has released acclaimed albums like Dear Louis and Afro-Caribbean Mixtape.
New Orleans-born Jason Marsalis, youngest of the renowned Marsalis jazz family, leads his Vibes Quartet. Known for his unique vibraphone sound, he blends diverse influences and polyrhythms in his compositions. Notable albums include "In a World of Mallets" (Offbeat's Best Contemporary Jazz Album) and "The 21st Century Trad Band". He was a Downbeat Magazine "rising star" and the Marsalis family received an NEA Jazz Masters award.