Art of the Song: Vocalists take Center Stage in may

There's nothing quite like listening to live singing, when the vibrations are coming directly at you, so you can really feel the music. That's because it's the only kind of music that comes directly from our bodies — and our hearts. And that's why it touches us so deeply.

You can get a heady dose of that experience this month at SFJAZZ when a diverse array of vocalists fills the airwaves with an exhilarating mixture of styles, genres, interpretations of the standard jazz repertoire, and their own original compositions.

On May 1-3, the highly celebrated singer and multiple GRAMMY winner Cécile McLorin Salvant returns with a quartet to the Miner Auditorium. Known for her unique vocal style, ability to blend different musical genres, and strong storytelling abilities, Salvant's repertoire includes jazz standards, French chansons, pop, and many of her own compositions.

Salvant's sound and style bring to mind some of the greats from earlier decades like Sarah Vaughn and Carmen McRae. But at the same time, she is unmistakably hip to what is cutting edge right now. Coming from a multi-cultural home — a French mother and Haitian father — plus being exposed to many different kinds of music growing up, certainly influenced her penchant for exploring, bending and blending musical styles.

"I've always had eclectic musical tastes . . . and over the years I have been more and more comfortable sharing the eclecticism that is naturally what I gravitate towards as a listener," said Savant in an interview on Qobuz, a French streaming service.

Later in the month, Bay Area native Amy D will be returning to SFJAZZ in the Joe Henderson Lab on May 22 with Heart Matter, a four-piece group she co-founded with vibraphonist Dillon Vado. Noted for her soulful, luminescent and heartfelt vocals, the talented singer draws from a musically eclectic background that includes jazz, musical theater, R&B and Brazilian beats. The band will be performing mostly original music along with carefully chosen covers from a diverse set of influences.

Amy D conveys lyrics with calm charm and authentic emotion, which is one of the reasons they chose the name Heart Matter — to capture the quality and emotional landscape of the music they perform. The resulting sound, created by Vado's shimmering vibraphone tones along with Amy D's melodious vocals, supported by a bass and drums, does create a musically and emotionally pleasing experience for their audiences.

The next night, on May 23, the Joe Henderson Lab will come alive with a completely different experience when New Orleans based, Welsh-born singer extraordinaire Judith Owen takes the stage with her smokin' New Orleans band The Gentlemen Callers. They will be presenting music from Owen's latest project and recordings, performing music from some of the female musicians she grew up listening to as a kid, such as Blossom Dearie and Nellie Lutcher, who are not well known today.

"It's a real deep dive into the music of what I describe as being the most kickass, unapologetically singular and powerhouse women," said Owen, who grew up listening to classical, jazz, and musical theater, and is also a prolific composer. "It's been possibly the most wonderful experience of my career."

Owen explained that she and her band are all about entertaining the audience. "It's such a high voltage show, and is so rich with highwire performances by everyone," the dynamic singer said. " And I get to come out and be the big powerhouse woman that I am without apology for being larger than life."

The musical focus turns again on May 24-25 when singer/songwriter/violinist Emmaline returns to the Joe Henderson Lab after her sold-out shows in 2023 with her guitar player/personal and professional partner Ryan Mondak. This time around, she will be presenting a very different sound, fronting a quartet with Mondak on guitar, plus bass and drums.

With a powerhouse voice and singular style, this very talented 27-year-old seamlessly blends the aesthetics of earlier eras with hip, contemporary trends — an approach she describes as "modern retro." And through that lens, she is able to put her own original stamp on everything from original compositions to jazz standards to pop, rock and beyond.

"I really love taking songs that everybody knows and then kind of turning them on their heads," said Emmaline, and her recent release on social media of a mashup of Freddie Hubbard's "Red Clay" with the Bee Gees "Stayin' Alive," is nothing short of brilliant.

Pointing the style dial in a fresh new direction, singer/keyboardist composer Avery Sunshine will be bringing some jazz, soul, gospel and R&B grooves to the Miner Auditorium on a double bill with the Harlem Gospel Travelers on May 25. Celebrating her first GRAMMY this year in the Best Progressive R&B Album category for her album "So Glad To Know You," she will be appearing with her husband/guitar player/songwriting partner Dana Johnson.

The Atlanta-based powerhouse singer who grew up deeply immersed in the church, has been lauded by none other than the great Aretha Franklin herself, and it's no wonder. With her brilliant smile and a style that is rich, vibrant, joyful and full of soul, her music makes you want to just get up and dance.

Also drawing from a deep tradition of church and gospel music, the vocal trio the Harlem Gospel Travelers are known for their high-octane, soulful gospel performances that include their own compositions, as well as a mix of original material and traditional gospel songs. With a focus on "creating music that uplifts, inspires, and spreads the message of love," they simply knock it out of the park.

Incorporating their own unique vocal harmonies and arrangements into their recordings and performances, their music showcases their deep connection to gospel music's heritage and their ability to push the boundaries of the genre. And a recent GRAMMY nomination for their album "Rhapsody," makes it clear that they are a group that is definitely on the way up.

Cécile McLorin Salvant performs 5/1-3, Heart Matter featuring Amy D and Dillon Vado performs 5/22, Judith Owen peforms 5/23, Emmaline performs 5/24-25, Harlem Gospel Travelers and Avery Sunshine perform 5/25. Tickets and more information for all shows are available here. 

Lily O'Brien is a freelance journalist who specializes in music. She has written for the San Francisco Classical Voice, Downbeat, JazzTimes, Grammy.com, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Marin Independent Journal, String Magazine and more. She is also a singer who has performed professionally in a variety of genres.