Butler personifies the diversity often found in Smooth Jazz today while maintaining a very distinctive identity with his solo work. His South African roots yield a musical background flavored by the rhythms of World Music and Reggae yielding an end product which is refreshingly beat-driven at times thus bringing an interesting flavor to the musical blend we have come to... read full bio
Jools Holland is an English pianist, singer, composer, and bandleader who rose to fame as a member of the band Squeeze. Holland is also known for being a television presenter who has hosted his own show, ‘Later… with Jools Holland,’ as well as ‘Hootenanny.’ Holland was born in Blackheath, London, England, and he began his career as a musician performing... read full bio
Jordan Rakei is a New Zealand-Australian musician, singer-songwriter and record producer who has also been known as Dan Kye. Rakei was born in Tokoroa, New Zealand, and is currently based out of London, United Kingdom. When Rakei was three, he moved to Brisbane, Australia, and later grew up playing instruments which include the piano and guitar. He later began to... read full bio
Jorja Smith is a British singer and songwriter known for being a skilled lyricist that writes songs that comment on current events, social issues, and tell poignant stories. Growing up, Jorja listened to artists such as Curtis Mayfield and Damien Marley, and she cites artists such as The Streets, Lauryn Hill, and Mos Def as heavy influences on her musical... read full bio
Jose James is an American musician, composer, and bandleader who performs music which is a mixture of modern jazz, hip-hop and neo soul. James was born in Minneapois, Minnesota, and he began his career studying at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. After studying jazz, James went on to release his debut studio album, “The Dreamer,” through Brownswood... read full bio
After relocating from Ipswich to London, Joseph Lawrence started his career, attracting attention in the city's jazz scene and polishing his craft at the storied Ronnie Scott's, creating a network of outstanding players in the process. From then, he started playing in bands and gradually developing his own music behind the scenes before starting to work on his debut album. Joseph is... read full bio
Since rising to stardom in the early 1990s, tenor saxophonist Joshua Redman's music has run the gamut of genres. Now, he's out to blend those styles into something more personal. With his new trio (organist Sam Yahel and drummer Brian Blade), the 33-year-old Redman has melded jazz improvisation with swing, funk and R&B rhythms in an approach that is reminiscent... read full bio
Born in Rio de Janeiro, singer, composer, and instrumentalist Joyce has amassed 31 years in the music business, 21 solo discs, and almost 300 recordings of her songs by some of the greatest names in Brazilian and International music, such as Elis Regina, Gal Costa, Maria Bethnia, Milton Nascimento, Ney Matogrosso, Emilio Santiago, Zizi Possi, Elizeth Cardoso, Simone, Flora Purim,... read full bio
Jozef Bobula is a Las Vegas local musician who can perform as a stage musician and as one-third of the Jozef Bobula Jazz Trio. Bobula performs as both a jazz artist as well as a bass player for other genres of music. Bobula has been the musical director of ‘Pin Up’ which was featured at the Stratosphere. He has also... read full bio
Judi Jackson is a multi-talent vocalist from Roanoake, Virginia, who performs jazz music. While growing up, Jackson found influence in artists which included Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald, Blossom Dearie, Miles Davis, Sarah Vaughn and Mahalia Jackson. Jackson began finding her love for performing after studying at the Jefferson Center’s Music Lab. She then began to learn, practice, and perform music.... read full bio
Julia Pratt is a Philadelphia-based singer-songwriter. The music of Julia, a songwriter at heart, combines pop, jazz, R&B and folk with a touch of electronic production. Julia's lyrics, which are rooted in moving lyricism and are influenced by artists like Kevin Garrett, Amy Winehouse and Hozier, talk with family, love, treachery and the struggle with the idea of "the self." She began a... read full bio
Julian Lage was a jazz child prodigy at the age of eight, when he was the subject of the documentary Jules at Eight. When he was only thirteen, he performed at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards. Then at fifteen, he became a faculty member at the Stanford Jazz Workshop at Stanford University. Julian’s debut album, Sounding point, was released to... read full bio
Jazz artist Julian Vaughn creates a signature blend of gospel-influenced smooth jazz and instrumental R&B. He has broken barriers to become a prominent bassist in smooth jazz, which is normally dominated by saxophone players. Raised by a pastor father and grandfather, Julian began his musical journey as a member of the church band. Local musicians began taking notice, landing Julian... read full bio
Julio Iglesias' career, My Life: The Greatest Hits is more than simply a great collection of songs -- it is a vital, living piece of international musical history. The single most popular Latin recording artist ever -- and one of the most successful recording artists in the world period -- Iglesias has never before seen fit to document his entire... read full bio
Julius Rodriguez, a talented pianist and multi-instrumentalist, fuses his love of R&B, gospel and hip-hop with his jazz training. He initially caught people's attention when he went on tour with A$AP Rocky and collaborated with artists like Kassa Overall, Meshell Ndegeocello, Brasstracks and others on projects. Let Sound Tell All served as his solo debut for Verve Records. Rodriguez was raised in a... read full bio
The Jungle Brothers are an American hip hop group that pioneered the fusion of jazz and hip-hop and also became the first hip-hop group to use a house-music producer. The group began performing in the mid-1980s and released its first album, Straight Out the Jungle, in July 1988. With Afrocentric lyrics and innovative beats, the Jungle Brothers were critically acclaimed... read full bio
Justin Hurwitz is an American film composer and television writer, best known for his collaborations with director Damien Chazelle. He has composed the score for each of Chazelle's films, including Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench, Whiplash, La La Land, First Man, and Babylon. Hurwitz received numerous accolades for his work on La La Land, including two Academy Awards for... read full bio
Justin Kauflin is a composer, educator, record producer, and jazz pianist. He was born in Silver Spring, Maryland but made his way to Virginia Beach, Virginia with his family as a child. While there, he learned how to play classical music on the piano and violin. When he was eleven, Justin lost his eyesight after a proliferative exudative retinopathy. He... read full bio
Justin-Lee, a seventeen-year-old multi-instrumental prodigy, is hailed as an incredible talent. Legends like Harry Connick Jr. and Quincy Jones have praised Justin's most recent work, calling him "something special," and it is full of soul and fire. Additionally, Stevie Wonder has indicated interest in appearing on Justin's upcoming album. In the words of Down Beat magazine, Justin's "unique brilliance is... read full bio
'Peace + Harmony' is a release that First Word Records is happy to offer. This young singer, who is originally from Moss Side in Manchester, has been slowly establishing a reputation as one of the UK's most intriguing soul vocalists over the past few years. His recordings include a diverse range of genres, including alternative R&B, future soul, hip hop and... read full bio
