Could a singer who draws inspiration from legendary sax and trumpet players possibly be blessed with a better name than Jazzmeia Horn? The 26-year-old Dallas native, a graduate of Manhattan’s New School, is indeed blessed—not only with remarkable vocal skills but also sharp intelligence, an impressive sense of self and deep wells of creative curiosity. She is the first artist to win top honors at both the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz International Competition, where her prize included an album deal with Concord. The resultant debut disc, the standards-focused A Social Call, has earned her global accolades, drawing comparisons to the tsunamic impacts of Gregory Porter and Cécile McLorin Salvant. CHRISTOPHER LOUDON
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