In the two years since Jazzmeia Horn bowed with her first album, the GRAMMY Award®-Nominated A Social Call, she’s been very busy performing on international tours as well as teaching masterclasses and workshops globally, honing her vocal skills to a finely tuned level while writing songs of personal relevance and social message, and perfecting a fearless approach to improvisation and performance in general.

  The convergence of this drive and development has resulted in what is sure to be hailed as one of the most courageous recordings of 2019—The Grammy Nominated and NAACP Image Award Winning Love and Liberation—filled with songs of daring musicality, emotional power, and messages of immediate relevance. Shortly after composing and arranging Love and Liberation, a book was in the making for Horn. Her first book Through My Eyes: The Jazzmeia Horn Approach focuses on sharing Jazzmeia's knowledge on using her voice as a female vocalist and artist in the male dominated Jazz industry. The first of its kind, the book teaches singers how to serve Jazz music along with the many roles of a good vocalist.

Blessed with a fitting name for her chosen path—it was Horn’s jazz-loving, piano-playing grandmother who chose “Jazzmeia”—the singer was born in Dallas in 1991, grew up in a tightly knit, church-going family filled with musical talent and started singing as a toddler. She attended Booker T. Washington High School for Performing and Visual Arts, known for launching such musical greats as Roy Hargrove, Norah Jones, and Erykah Badu. Her education included steering herself to the mentors who would guide her passion for jazz, like Jon Hendricks, Abbey Lincoln, and Betty Carter.

In 2009, Horn moved to New York City to enroll in The New School’s Jazz and contemporary music program. In 2013, she entered and won a Newark-based contest named for an initial inspiration—the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Competition. In 2015, she won the Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Competition, the most coveted award a young jazz musician can hope to attain. Part of her prize was a contract with Concord Records, which led to A Social Call, now Love and Liberation.

Andrew Wilcox is a young pianist and composer born and raised in Worcester, MA and educated in Hartford, CT. Inspired by the great pianists Mulgrew Miller, Andrew Hill, McCoy Tyner, and Stanley Cowell, Andrew brings an aggressive and firey approach to the piano. His harmonic sensibilities allow him the freedom to move around the fringe between in and out and be called upon for a large variety of situations. An active participant in the Hartford music community, he has worked with a number of musicians in a variety of settings notably, Haneef Nelson, Jonathan Barber, Matt Dwonszyk, Ed Byrne, and Nat Reeves.

Occhi was born in the early 2000’s!  Under the creative stewardship of Tiffany Unscripted, it started as a hybrid digital magazine, releasing new features and sections with a focus on creative people. Although located in New York, Occhi Magazine reporters were based in Arizona, California, Canada, Illinois, and Ohio. The team currently includes writers in Toronto, Minnesota, New Mexico, New Jersey, New York, and London.
​
Further to the success of the magazine, and behind the scenes assistance to artists, publicists and creative businesses, Occhi Arts and Entertainment was established to provide a more tailored service. Capitalizing on the commercial background of our growing team members, we provide professional advice and strategic support in the areas of business development, marketing, and public relations, with a particular focus on creative businesses.

Rainy Days Records is a record label that is changing the global perception of modern jazz music in the global music landscape.   
 
Founded in 2018, the label releases music that demonstrates the stellar musicianship and vibrancy of today’s international jazz scene.  
 
Acting as a platform for musicians around the world, Rainy Days facilitates the creation and presentation of innovative new works and fosters unique collaborations of the finest musicians from different parts of the world.

Jazz Vocalist, who clearly loves Christmas, out of Miami, Fl. Download, share and enjoy! 
Click the link to my website to cast your vote for me in The Sarah Vaughan Jazz Vocal Competition!
Feel free to message me, and check out my website!

Michael Pallas is based in New York City and has been performing professionally as a musician for over 15 years. Upon arriving in the metropolitan area, he began to focus his career in Latin music. Today he can be seen on stage performing frequently with Antibalas, Tito Rodriguez Jr, Soul Science Lab, and The Steven Oquendo Latin Jazz Orchestra.

Born in California and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Pallas has performed throughout the United States and Europe. Noteworthy venues include: The Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Opera de Lyon, The Blue Note, BB King's, New Morning (Paris), and  Paradiso (Amsterdam)

Known for his clear tone and melodic improvisation, Pallas earned his B.M. from the Jackie McLean Institute at The Hartt School of Music in Hartford, Connecticut and a M.M. from New Jersey City University. While in Hartford, he studied with prolific master trombonist Steve Davis, bassist Nat Reeves, and African American Music History with Rene McLean. 

As a musician with heritage in the Dominican Republic, Pallas emerged on the New York Salsa scene in late 2015 as a sideman appearing alongside notable musicians and artists such as Eddie Palmieri, Tito Rodriguez Jr., Victor Wail, Alex Matos, Tito Rojas, Luisito and Roberto Quintero, and Gilberto Pulpo Colon.

While the New York City Latin music scene embraces his talents enthusiastically, Michael has been honored to share the stage with premier jazz musicians as well, including Abdullah Ibrahim, Al Foster, Rene McLean, Steve Davis, The George G Orchestra, and The Cotton Club Orchestra.

In addition, Michael is the recipient of several awards and recognitions for his musicianship. Some of the these include the Gary Carney award presented by Young Sounds of Arizona ('10), Ravinia's Stean Music Fellowship for Jazz Composition ('15), The Mocolo Crystal for Band of the Year "Son Del Monte" presented by Taino Nation Entertainment ('18), and a Presidential Scholarship awarded by New Jersey City University to receive an M.M. degree in Jazz Studies ('20)

Michael's expertise is not limited to live performance. He also works as a music theory instructor with gifted youth musicians in White Plains, NY. Along with being an educator, he has been tapped for his skills as a music producer given his knowledge and expertise with recording, music technology and the fundamentals of music. Finally, Pallas has also been commissioned several times to complete arrangements and transcriptions for several bands and ensembles.

Michael Pallas is currently working towards releasing his debut album "Gateway" featuring of his own compositions, arrangements, and productions in 2023. 

Stay tuned for future releases and show dates by joining his mailing list.

TRRcollective is following