Jazzmeia Horn

Possessing a luminous gift that the late great Jon Hendricks called “one of the best voices I’ve heard in over 40 years,” singer Jazzmeia Horn makes a highly anticipated appearance during the 2024-25 Season to debut new songs and selections from her acclaimed discography, including her 2021 Empress Legacy release Dear Love.

The Dallas native is now an intrinsic part of the jazz firmament, moving from triumph to triumph, including first place at the 2013 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, top honors at the star-making 2015 Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Competition, and DownBeat Critics Poll accolades.

The Monk triumph led directly to her 2017 debut A Social Call (Prestige), which was nominated for a GRAMMY Award and voted the best jazz vocal debut in the 2017 NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll. Drawing on the masters who came before her, Horn is rapidly defining herself with a glorious sound, smart arrangements and growing confidence as a bandleader. “I like Nancy Wilson’s storytelling, and Nina Simone’s strength and drive, Betty Carter’s playfulness and joy, Sarah Vaughan’s tone, Carmen’s diction, and Shirley Horn’s phrasing,” Horn told the Mercury News. “I take bits and pieces from everybody to create my own style, and just develop from there.” With a name that’s easy to remember and talent that’s impossible to forget, Jazzmeia Horn is the real deal.