Jazz Never Died

Laufey is notable the most famous jazz vocalist of our time, being one of the pioneer leading not only vocal collaboration but also orchestral due to her background in classical string playing. Coming from a musical background from her grandparents playing in the Iceland Symphony Orcherstra, she learned the violin and how to sing with listening to records of Ella Fitzgerald and Chet Baker. She rose virally from TikTok during the pandemic, and continued to rise after her release of albums Everything I know About Love and Bewitched. In 2024, she would win her first Grammy for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for Bewitched and would continue to tour around the world.

Stephen Lee Bruner, also known as "Thundercat", is a highly praised bassists, composer, and songwriter within the modern music industry. His genres branch through all forms of music such as jazz, funk, soul, hip-hop, and even rap. Coming from a musical family, Bruner has grown out of his own success through many years of working with different artists and earning gigs on his own. While collaborating with Flying Lotus and Kendrick Lamar, he slowly became the person to completely innovate the modern bass guitar. Winning his first Grammy in 2016 for These Walls with Kendrick, his career would continue with hits such as It Is What It Is, Funny Thing, These Walls, and Show You The Way.

Emmet Cohen is a highly virtuosic modern jazz pianists that has gained recognition because of his intergenerational collaboration with all artists. Cohen spent many of his time playing and studying his undergrad at the University of Miami and earning a Master's degree at Manhattan School of Music. He was pushed and continued to learn from legends such as Ron Carter, Benny Golson, and Jimmy Heath. Gaining popularity because his leadership in the Emmet Cohen Trio and online live-stream series, "Live From Emmet's Place" has redefined the view of jazz for all especially when hitting the internet. In 2019, he would win the American Pianists Award and the Cole Potter Fellow of the American Pianists Association.

Andrea Motis, Spanish jazz trumpet player and singer, is widely known for her blend in style of trumpet playing and singing in English, Spanish, Catalan, and Portuguese. Starting in Barcelona, she rose to fame quickly because playing in the Sant Andreu Jazz Band before moving to becoming successful in her solo career. At 15, she released a debut jazz standards album, Joan Chamorro Presents Andrea Motis after working with Chamorro for three years. Her popularity would reach a high in 2017 after she signed with Impulse! Records to release an acclaimed solo album, Emotional Dance. Till this day she has either redone or recorded her renditions of standards such as Summertime, Solitude, Feeling Good, and Basin Street Blues.

Esperanza Spalding has helped cultivate a culture of jazz that continues to change everyday. After being an acclaimed American Bassist and vocalist, she went on to win 5 Grammys and went on to make history as the first jazz musician to win Best New Artist in 2011. She was heavily inspired by artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Ron Carter, and even Herbie Hancock. After graduating Berklee, she dropped her debut album, Junjo in 2006, Esperanza in 2008, and to add to her rise she released her third studio album, Chamber Music Society in 2010. She continues till this day releasing and collaborating with artist, blending soul and pop with more musical elements creating to push the boundaries of jazz.

Rex Richardson is one of the most innovative classical and modern trumpet players on the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st century. A lot of his playing comes from the trumpeter such as Freddie Hubbard, Clifford Brown, and Woody Shaw. He began touring the world as a trumpet player during the 1990's while studying at Northwestern University. His mainstream debut in 1995 with his hard-bop jazz, Powers that Be and some of his most modern works from his 2025 album Elegy. Till this day, he continues to collaborate with many modern artist such as Arturo Sandoval, Wycliff Gordon, and Wayne Bergeron. Currently he teaches at the University of South Carolina sharing his experiences, lessons, and playing with students across the world.

Kamasi Washington, composer, arranger, and jazz saxophonist is widely known for his masterful blending of jazz fusion and hip-hop. After co-founding the jazz collective West Coast Get Down, his career has been nothing but success of collaborating with many modern artist. A lot of influence comes from legendary artist such as Dexter Gordon, though his strongest influence comes from John Coltrane. One of his most celebrated performances comes from his 2015 debut The Epic, has redefined the modern era of jazz and saxophone performance. Popular songs in which Washington has released are "From My Heart and My Soul", "Freeze Tag", and "No Excuses".

Jazz is one of the most important music genres and influences on the current music industry that has cultivated artists from all areas. Ideas are constantly being shared between artist when it comes to this genre even if its at a gig, combo, or a low stressed jam session. There is a language that comes from this genre that speaks to not only one but to all like an oral story that is constantly being passed down through generations. The idea of this blog will inform people and incorporate modern artist with their takes or even albums that reuse ideas and standards that were played almost 100 years ago.