Jill Scott

Have you been to the church of Avery*Sunshine? With her thunderous, gospel-bred pipes and heart-to-heart content, the singer-songwriter can’t help spilling the truth in her music. She knows the best route sometimes is the direct one. No detours. So listeners won’t have to “get on her level.” She’s already on …

Casey Benjamin is a Grammy Award winning multi-instrumentalist. He is prolific as both a sideman and bandleader. In addition, he has recently worked with artists such as Kris Bowers, Robert Glasper, Derrick Hodge, Lupe Fiasco, Mark Adams, Melvin Gibbs, and Stefon Harris.

Photo of Roy Hargrove by John Whiting Jazz legend Sonny Rollins once said, “Improvisation is the ability to create something very spiritual, something of one’s own,” and Roy Hargrove has taken those words to heart.  In an exclusive interview with iRockJazz, multiple Grammy winner, bandleader and jazz trumpeter extraordinaire, Roy …

One of the most sought after Jazz and R & B Drummers of his generation, John “Lil’ John” Roberts has maintained his status in the industry as the ultimate heartbeat. A native of Philadelphia, John quickly became noted as a child prodigy, playing along side Christian McBride and Joey Defranceso …

Grammy Award-winning Jazz bassist Ben Williams is a forward-thinking musician who crosses easily between straight-ahead, funk, and gospel-influenced jazz. A native of Washington, D.C., Williams graduated from the Duke Ellington School of Music before studying with renowned bassist Rodney Whitaker while earning a B.A. in jazz studies at Michigan State …

DIANNE REEVES is among the pre-eminent jazz vocalists in the world. In her first studio album in five years, Reeves delivers what is destined to become a soul-jazz classic. The album, Beautiful Life, also marks a new relationship with Concord Records —which is not entirely new: Reeves was featured in …

Jazz vocalist and DC-native Akua Allrich has proven herself to be a musician of extraordinary talent and crowd-moving passion. With finesse and charisma, this vocalist, composer and teacher, has successfully etched out a place for her unique musical expression, electrifying audiences in and around the nation’s capital with sold-out performances. …

At the age of four Jamar was enrolled in a music school in his hometown of Philadelphia where he studied piano and began to compose. His first piano recital featured his own compositions!  While a freshman at Temple University, Jamar co-wrote and produced the song, Dear God, for the Grammy …

If one were attempting to design a prototype for the quintessential contemporary musician, trumpeter/fluegelhornist/composer Russell Gunn is the model. A certified member of the hip-hop generation, Russell’s early aspirations in the world of rap music took precedence over the trumpet that he began playing in fourth grade. When he reached …

China Moses, daughter of Dee Dee Bridgewater and Director Gilbert Moses, has been entrenched in music and theatre since she was a child. Moses released her first single Time at the age of 15, along with her first video.  This success was followed by three albums, “China,” “On Toure en …

Make no mistake about it:  Bass goddess Nik West is nobody’s conformist, a fact made abundantly clear for anyone who’s ever seen the video to her blazing, bodacious and accidental cover of AC/DC’s iconic “Back In Black.” The Phoenix, Arizona native is well into a remarkable career as one of …

MTV Made’s Award winning singer-activist Maya Azucena is a global artist making music that matters. She recently joined a prestigious line-up of artists, including Jill Scott, Maxwell and Beyonce, at 2013 Essence Fest in New Orleans, and was selected to showcase on the invite-only secret stage in the Grammy Museum, …