Jazzmeia Horn

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.