Jazzmeia Horn: A Star is Born
Jazzmeia Horn a current student at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music, brought the crowd to its feet singing “Sweet Georgia Brown” Monday night when she performed at the final event of the James Moody Democracy of Jazz Festival at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, where the winners of the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition were announced. Jazzmeia walked away with the “Rising Star Award,” which honors emerging jazz vocalists.
“The best part of winning the award is that Sarah Vaughan is and has always been my favorite Jazz vocalist of all times” Jazzmeia told us having recently returned from Europe with her band the Jazz Horn Quartet. “The first jazz tune I ever heard (after I became interested in the genre) was “Shoulie A Bop.” On that one record you had Sarah with John Malachi, Joe Benjamin, and Roy Haynes! That was the day I fell in love so easily with Jazz and especially Sarah Vaughan!”
Graduating this May from The New School, Jazzmeia seems well on her way toward stardom, having already played and performed with such jazz heavy hitters as Jazz at Lincoln Center alumni Ali Jackson and Vincent Gardner, and NEA Jazz Master Ellis Marsalis and Jon Hendricks. To catch this raising star for yourself check out her website.