Juno Award-winning Vocalist and Trumpet Master Bria Skonberg Issues Indigo via Cellar, Her Vocal-driven Sequel to Brass on July 3, 2026

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Juno Award-winning artist Bria Skonberg shares the breadth of her vocal expression with the release of Indigo on July 3, 2026 via Cellar Music Group. The anticipated partner to Brass, her 2026 trumpet-centered meditation, Indigo is a celebration of song, singing, and orchestrating for all the colors of her vocal artistry. Co-produced by Skonberg and her longtime collaborator Matt Pierson, these albums excavate both wholes of her creative identity. “After decades of figuring out where the trumpet and the voice come together,” she says, “I thought it would be interesting and challenging to explore them both, and that was it.” Asked frequently whether she’s a singer who plays trumpet or a trumpet player who sings, in recording Indigo and Brass, Skonberg realized she’s partly neither, and both entirely — a revelation to the artist whom The New York Times calls “the shining hope of hot jazz.”

“I had to work on them both, individually,” says Skonberg. “It’s always good to come back and sharpen the saw.” Indigo features the foundation of her Brass quartet, Eric Wheeler on bass and Darrian Douglas on drums, plus orchestration from her 2017 With a Twist collaborator, multi-Grammy Award winner Gil Goldstein, who also serves as the album’s pianist, complementing Skonberg’s intimate vocal — and its emotional resonances — with subtleties of tone and color. “What I love about Gil is he has such a huge imagination,” she says. “There was never any doubt he would be the person to arrange the album.”

The artists assemble a small but mighty orchestra, including Antoine Silverman and Entcho Todorov on violin, Yuko Naito-Gotay on viola, and Emily Brausa on cello, adding a distinct textural warmth from Kathleen Nester on alto flute and Charles Pillow on bass clarinet. “Gil and I settled on some really amazing sound combinations,” says Skonberg, “but once you pull together cello, alto flute, bass clarinet and where my voice sits, it’s just gorgeous.”

Where Brass captures Skonberg’s range as a technician and a style master, Indigo presents a level of vulnerability Skonberg is able to access vocally because she’s lived through the complexities and absurdities of life. “Indigo is an exploration in nuances: conversations, chemistry, fragility, and sense of self,” she says. “Many of these songs require a certain amount of life experience to be able to understand and interpret them, and at this point I feel like I’ve lived them all.”

Engineered, mixed and mastered by Christopher Allen, Indigo opens on Michel Legrand’s “Watch What Happens.” Adding a pedal to a partido alto feel, Skonberg bonds sophisticated with steadfast while Douglas’ brushwork creates a buoyancy around the hushed intensity of her vocal. “This song is my current love letter to humanity,” says Skonberg. “I’m hoping that we will see into each other’s hearts and make authentic connections.”

In back-to-back homage, “I’m Glad There is You” and “Mood Indigo” pay tribute to Sarah Vaughan & Clifford Brown and Miles Davis, respectively. The former transmits a plush, symphonic verse before Skonberg brings the tune into time, spotlighting a mastery over her vocal range: “It’s a beast, vocally, but it’s just a song about gratitude and being grateful for the people we love whether or not they’re with us.” The latter enters the iconic groove from “All Blues,” maintaining that reverence across the tune, including through Skonberg’s muted trumpet. “I like to put little Easter eggs in my albums,” says Skonberg, “for myself and the other jazz listeners.”

One of two songs appearing on both Brass and Indigo, “Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea” serves as something of a metaphor for the dual-album project. “It’s the feeling I have when I’m asked if I’m a singer who plays trumpet or a trumpet player who sings,” says Skonberg. “It sums it up: you’re stuck between two equally difficult decisions [laughs]. Also, the trumpet is the fiery part and the vocal is more the deep blue sea.” Alongside her nimble vocal, she delivers a swinging trumpet solo before joining Goldstein for a drum interlude that spotlights Douglas’ relaxed spontaneity.

Featuring Goldstein’s accordion and a beautiful solo gesture from Brausa, “If You Go Away” signals an emotional shift on Indigo. Through a lyrical whisper at once conversational and resonant, Skonberg sings directly into the listener’s ear. “It’s a little bit of a manouche French vibe,” she says. Originally recorded in French by the legendary singer Jacques Brel, the song has “just two parts, but it’s such a moment. There’s hope and despair — the fragility, the vulnerability — but there’s also strength in that, too.”

Indigo continues with a gripping arrangement of Sting’s “Fragile,” showcasing Skonberg’s muted trumpet. “Welcome to my party,” she says. “There’s always something old, there’s always something new, and then there’s always something in the middle that’s been kind of manipulated.” Her original song “So It Goes” emerged as an instrumental, which appears on Brass. Written in the style of a standard from the American Songbook, which Skonberg admits is “deceptively hard” to do, she soon realized the tune wasn’t finished. “I thought, ‘There’s a lyric here.” So she called her friend, the cabaret legend Ann Hampton Callaway to help her articulate the story. “It’s a love story that fell apart and then got put back together and then fell apart again [laughs].”

One of the record’s more complicated stories, “Tell Him I Said Hello” presents music & lyrics primed for Goldstein’s sensitive orchestration and Skonberg’s interpretive subtleties. “It’s a conversation with a friend who may or may not take what you’re saying to the person that you were in love with,” she says. “It’s so specific. And I’m realizing that great songwriting is taking a specific moment and making it universal. Gil wrote a beautiful arrangement that embodies the melancholy of lingering hope turning into reluctant acceptance.”

Indigo ends on a note of undying optimism, a hallmark of Skonberg’s expression as an artist and as a person navigating a troubled world. “We’ll Be Together Again” features cat-paw clarinet lines and blossoming orchestration. Skonberg approaches the song’s interval leaps with both technical poise and wonderment. But the meaning behind the tune informs her treatment of its components. “The sentiment of togetherness is important to me,” she says. “The way the album’s book-ended, ‘Watch What Happens’ is like, ’Let someone speak to your heart, stay open,’ and then the end thought is, ‘Remain in this space together.’”

Across Brass and Indigo, Skonberg’s message is clear: “I try to bring people together as much as possible. If I can get people having a shared experience, in live concerts, whatever their opinions or views are, to me that’s meaningful.”

 Bria Skonberg. Courtesy of Cellar Music Group

Thank you to Lydia Liebman Promotions for sharing with us

We Dream is the new studio album by New York–based alto saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Lakecia Benjamin. Conceived as a deeply band-driven project, her sixth album and Artwork Records debut, out June 5, centers on Benjamin’s frequent collaborators in pianists Oscar Pérez and Miki Hayama and bassist Elias Bailey — along with new associates in trumpeter Sean Jones, and drummer Jonathan Barber — alongside an expansive cast of guest collaborators drawn from across jazz, R&B, hip-hop, and experimental music.

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“It does, as usual, have some of my guest flair,” Benjamin explains. “But this time, it’s for a different purpose.” Following the arc of 2023’s Phoenix and 2025’s Grammy-nominated, standalone single “Noble Rise,” We Dream reflects what Benjamin describes as a shift in perspective — a response to the present moment and the world around her. “It felt like that story couldn’t go all the way, given the state of the world,” she says. “So I started thinking about the idea of being a bright light in a dark space. Things feel really dark right now — everywhere — and we’re trying to be that light.”

Rather than assembling guests for ornamentation, Benjamin approached the project as a collective statement, bringing together artists she admires for their capacity to evolve, innovate, and reshape musical language. Her self-described team of “Avengers” includes trumpeters Terence Blanchard and Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah; saxophonist Chris Potter; drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts; pianist Hiromi; the Roots’ Black Thought; vocalists Bilal and Tiaranna “Tank” Ball of Tank and the Bangas; and drummer and producer Kassa Overall.

When describing her collaborators, Benjamin emphasizes that they are not bound by genre, pointing instead to artists who have reshaped music through sound, presentation, and the spaces in which it can exist.

We Dream arrives after a period of heightened visibility for Benjamin. After years working with artists including Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, Prince, Missy Elliott, Anita Baker, Gregory Porter, Kool & the Gang, and The Roots, she redefined her artistic direction with 2020’s Pursuance: The Coltranes, a guest-driven project honoring John and Alice Coltrane as parallel creative forces. Released during the pandemic, the album marked a turning point — reconnecting Benjamin’s work to lineage, spirituality, and personal responsibility during a moment of global pause.

She followed Pursuance with Phoenix, recorded after surviving a near-fatal car accident. The album proved a breakthrough, earning multiple Grammy nominations — including Best Jazz Instrumental Performance, Best Instrumental Composition (“Amerikkan Skin”), and Best Jazz Performance (“Basquiat”) — and expanding both the scale and audience for her work.

Phoenix’s sister album, Phoenix Reimagined (Live) — announced on national TV by Stephen Colbert while she sat in with the Late Show Band — was nominated for Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Jazz Performance. At the forthcoming 2026 ceremony, Benjamin is nominated for Best Jazz Performance for the standalone single “Noble Rise,” featuring fellow alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins.

Musically, We Dream unfolds as a cinematic, poem-driven journey. The album opens with the mesmerizing, tenacious spoken word piece “First Light.” This segues into  “Beyond the Dawn,” featuring Terence Blanchard alongside Sean Jones, Barber’s mallet work, and a spoken-word invocation by Benjamin that sets the album’s tone — part meditation, part reckoning. The music then surges forward, channeling intensity, propulsion, and forward motion.

Throughout the record, Benjamin blends spoken word, groove-based writing, and high-energy improvisation. “My Only,” featuring Jones, explores isolation and endurance. “Mi Gente,” with Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah, centers community and cultural exchange, grounded in rhythm and collective movement.

“Dream Breaker,” featuring Watts, Potter, and Jones, pushes the music into a more combustible space, while “Flamekeeper,” with Hiromi and Potter, accelerates through force, volume, and extended exchange — reflecting Benjamin’s admiration for artists “who are not standing still, who are pushing forward, who are innovating.”

The album’s title track, “We Dream,” features spoken word and vocals by Tiaranna “Tank” Ball, whose narrative presence shapes the composition’s emotional arc. Later, “Right Now” brings together Bilal and Kassa Overall in what Benjamin describes as the record’s dramatic peak, where lyric, rhythm, and improvisation converge. The closing track, “New World,” offers a quieter resolution — a glimpse of the light Benjamin set out to find.

Across We Dream, Benjamin situates jazz within a broader cultural landscape, reflecting her growing presence at festivals where jazz shares the stage with DJs, reggae acts, and genre-defying artists. But genre aside, it stands as a bold, intentional artistic statement — one that insists on forward motion, collective imagination, and the power of sound to illuminate even the darkest spaces.

 Lakecia Benjamin website

Thank you to Lydia Liebman for sharing with us

Heidi Martin is proud to present Attunement: Her latest album due to be released 26th May 2026.

Having completed two years of research at Rutgers University (2023-2024) on the Estate of American jazz vocalist, songwriter, actress and civil rights activist Abbey Lincoln, Heidi Martin was subsequently awarded the 2024 Berger-Carter Berger Fellowship from Rutgers Dana Library Jazz Studies Department. During this time, Heidi reached out to bassist Michael Bowie and pianist Mark Cary, who both played with Abbey Lincoln for over a decade.

Originally Heidi reached out to Michael and Marc to see if they could share stories while she was studying Abbey’s journals in chronological order. Inspired by their recollections, the in depth research of Abbey’s personal journals, and her own alignment with Abbey’s philosophy and spirit, Heidi began composing a poetic tribute beyond the traditional tributes to monuments in the music. She wondered, could compositions be channelled through this energy as a tribute to Abbey Lincoln (Aminata Moseka), but not in the traditional sense of “tribute album”? As songs were emerging, Heidi brought them to Michael Bowie who became her MD, both working on them for several months, eventually resulting in the studio recording that is Attunement. With Marc Cary on piano, Michael Bowie on bass Eric Kennedy on drums and features from Elijah Easton on tenor saxophone and Ethan Bailey Gould on guitar, the group became the perfect ensemble to enhance Heidi’s work and to reflect the true nature of Heidi’s inspiration and ‘attunement’ from her studies.

Having performed at a whole range of legendary venues and festivals throughout the USA. Her previous album ‘Gifts & Sacrifices’ gaining widespread positive attention, Heidi brings her unique singer-songwriter perspective to Attunement, combining folk influence with jazz sensibility to produce her very best work to date.

Heidi Martin is an award-winning vocalist and composer. She is the recipient of
Chamber Music America "Jazz Works" commission 2023, South Arts Touring Grant 2022, Rutgers University Fellowship (2024) to research the Abbey Lincoln Estate in the Dana Library of Jazz Studies and MOCO Arts and Humanities Grant to record the music she composed during extensive 2 year research. ATTUNEMENT is her lastest recording (2026) with Marc Cary, Michael Bowie and Eric Kennedy. She brings to DC Jazz Festival Education; her commitment to creativity and success nurturing young learners. Martin develops quality music education programs and experiences for schools and organizations across the DC area. Deeply rooted in the District’s creative community, she exudes patience, warmth and enthusiasm in her work to continue the rich legacy of jazz, especially our earliest Prek3-4 learners.

Martin was a vocal music major in the University of District of Columbia’s jazz studies program. A finalist in the London International Vocalist Competition, is a sought-after teaching artist who has written, directed and produced music programs for DC Public Schools and Montgomery County Public Schools. Martin is certified by the DC Office of the State Superintendent of Education to teach pre-K-12th grade music, and is certified by the State of Maryland. Heidi was a contributing composer for the PBS documentary “Revolution ’67.” She has performed nationally at the Winter JazzFest, Black ArtsFest, NOMA Fest, Mad JazzFest, Pori JazzFest, Tatmine Cultural Arts Concert (Morocco) and DC JazzFest!

“A breezy stroll through the Civil Rights movement at a level deeper than the mere political. Martin has a vision—oneness with all—and she promotes it with her lyrics. She cuts to the chase with little conversation, more Hemingway than Faulkner. But there's stlll a distinct Southern vernacular in her words.” All About Jazz

"Heidi brings a singer-songwriter perspective, applies that folk influence from the 60’s, to a whole different genre of music…” ~ George Burton

“Soaring soulful riffs…a wonderful experience for the listener!” Vanessa Rubin

Thank you to Dynamic Agency for sharing with us

Heidi Martin website click here

British saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Hannah Horton presents: Stories On The Wind

Release date: May 22nd

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“Rising sax star Hannah Horton…..there’s bold and gritty playing, on both baritone and tenor sax…. – JazzWise

“Hannah is real. She is authentic. She is an artist who draws you in, engages you, inspires you and captivates you” - Jazz In Europe

British saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Hannah Horton is carving out a distinctive place on the UK jazz scene. An Official Selmer Artist and award-winning musician, she trained at the prestigious Junior Guildhall School of Music and Trinity College of Music, drawing inspiration from jazz luminaries like Mark Lockheart, Tim Garland, and Paul Bartholomew. Alongside her own career, Hannah champions the next generation of talent through ‘J Steps,’ a program supporting young musicians under 18 who identify as female or non-binary, tackling the historic gender imbalance in jazz.

Widely recognised for her dedication to honouring the legacy of legendary tenor saxophonist Dexter Gordon. She regularly performs Gordon’s repertoire so much so her work has earned the admiration of Gordon’s widow, Maxine Gordon, who wrote the liner notes for Horton’s upcoming album, Stories On The Wind.

"The first time I heard Hannah Horton I was reminded of something I learned from Dexter Gordon. When he encountered a musician he had never heard before, anywhere in the world we travelled, he would listen, quietly, with his eyes closed. Then he would turn to me and say, “That’s the real sound. Real music. A real musician.” And then he would smile and nod his head to the music.That was my experience when I first heard Hannah Horton at The Jazz Café – Maxine Gordon

Renowned for her emotional depth, lyrical melodies, and compelling storytelling, Hannah delivers a powerful, expressive sound across both tenor and baritone saxophones. Her forthcoming third studio album, Stories on the Wind is her most personal and ambitious project to date. Evocative and timeless, the music explores themes of memory, longing and the subtle traces of belonging that shape our lives. The album unfolds as a rich, immersive soundscape, spacious and open to interpretation, yet firmly grounded in rhythm, where soaring melodies intertwine with compelling grooves.

Recorded at Red Kite Studio with renowned engineer and producer Martin Levan (Barbara Thompson, June Tabor, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Neil Ardley), the album captures a warmth and depth of sound that perfectly reflects Hannah’s artistic vision. Her band consists of Sam Leak (piano and organ), Rob Statham (electric bass), and Steve Taylor (drums and percussion) , brings additional colour and momentum, forming a dynamic backdrop for Hannah’s expressive saxophone lines. Recent highlights include a headline performance at the EFG London Jazz Festival**,** further cementing her reputation as a compelling live performer.

The album opens with‘Out of the Shadows’, a deeply personal composition inspired by moments when life veers off course. The piece captures that quiet, internal stirring, a sense that change is coming, and that, in time, everything will find its place.

‘Whisper’ is a lyrical baritone-led ballad dedicated to Hannah’s partner, Nick. Written in gratitude for his unwavering support during some of her most challenging times, including the loss of her father. The piece reflects intimacy, resilience and enduring connection. Having met just before lockdown, the two have been together ever since, a bond echoed in the tenderness of the music.

‘Alone’ reflects the solitude that often accompanies life as an independent artist, bandleader, booker, promoter, administrator, and everything in between. While the journey can be lonely at times, the music ultimately moves toward calm and acceptance. Its dreamy, floating ending captures a moment of release: a quiet peace found when the weight begins to lift, and letting go becomes possible.

The album ends on ‘Remembering Mr Gone’, written in response to the passing of Wayne Shorter , known as “Mr Gone”.

“This piece is shaped by the sound world I have always associated with him, particularly the colour and resonance of major seventh chords. While a full quartet version was recorded, an unplanned moment in the studio led to something more intimate. “One morning, instinct took over and we captured a stripped-back take, just baritone saxophone and piano, no rehearsal, no headphones, early in the day. When the final notes faded, there were tears in the control room, including my own”- explains Hannah.

The piece became more than a tribute to Wayne Shorter; it also transformed into a quiet act of remembrance for her father.

Being a female instrumentalist in the jazz world has never been easy, finding your voice in a historically male-dominated space demands resilience and resolve. Stories on the Wind is Hannah’s most personal statement to date: a reflection of where she stands now, both as an artist and as a person. Each composition began as a feeling, a fleeting moment, or a lived story, echoes of childhood, love and loss, hope, and the quiet strength that comes from forging your own path and finally being heard.

Hannah Horton Website click here

French-Italian pianist and composer Milena Granci introduces To Some Place New (May 14th, 2026), a striking debut that blends contemporary jazz with folk lyricism and cinematic atmosphere. Based in London, Granci leads a six-piece ensemble whose music unfolds like a journey - built on flowing melodies, layered harmonies and an expansive, emotionally rich sound world.

At the heart of the project is Granci’s desire to move beyond traditional jazz structures, allowing the music to evolve continuously rather than return to fixed forms. “I wanted the music to feel as close to ‘through-composed’ as possible - with minimal repetition,” she says. “When ideas return, they come back transformed, like a story unfolding.” The album’s title track, To Some Place New, reflects that idea directly: music that gradually shifts from introspection and melancholy toward a sense of quiet hope, unfolding layer by layer as the narrative moves forward.

A formative influence on Granci’s approach has been composer and bandleader Maria Schneider, whose expansive writing first inspired her during her conservatoire studies. “Maria Schneider’s compositions opened my ears to a completely different way of developing music.” Another personal influence appears in Remembering John, dedicated to the late pianist John Taylor, whose work Granci studied closely while writing a thesis. The project brings together musicians Granci met while studying at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama: vocalist Aitzi Cofre Real, alto saxophonist Harry Toulson, accordionist James Pettinger, bassist Ali Watson and drummer Ollie Peszynski. Their interplay helps shape the album’s distinctive palette, where improvisation meets carefully crafted composition. Wordless vocals play a central role in the music’s atmosphere, enabling listeners to impart their own stories and feelings to the music.

With To Some Place New, Granci introduces a distinctive compositional voice shaped by storytelling, collaboration and a rich array of influences. The album marks the arrival of a thoughtful new artist on the London jazz scene - one whose music balances a deeply personal writing style with the openness and imagination of improvisation.

Milena Granci | Piano, Compositions Aitzi Cofre Real | Vocals Harry Toulson | Alto Saxophone James Pettinger | Accordion Ali Watson | Double Bass Ollie Peszynski | Drums

All compositions by Milena Granci

Background info / Liner Notes: Recorded by Nick Taylor at Porcupine Studio London May 2024 Mixing and Mastering: Alex Killpartrick Photography: Camille Lemoine Graphic Design: Giulia Cavallini

Supported by Help Musicians

Thank you to Jazz Fuel for sharing with us

The Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band (JKIBB) – one of the only jazz big bands in the world comprised exclusively of Native and Indigenous people – is releasing its debut album, Incarnadine, on May 8, 2026. Led by celebrated vocalist Julie Keefe (Nez Perce), Incarnadine brings together a 16-piece ensemble to celebrate a largely unrecognized lineage of Indigenous artists in jazz, while presenting new compositions rooted in tribal histories and storytelling. Following extensive touring at major performing arts centers and jazz clubs across the country, Incarnadine offers the ensemble's first recorded statement.

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On Incarnadine, celebrated vocalist Julia Keefe (Nez Perce) leads her all-star Indigenous Big Band featuring pianist Marc Cary (Wampanoag), trumpeter Delbert Anderson (Diné), bassist Mali Obomsawin (Abanaki of Odanak), trombonist Quinn Carson (Apache/Kiowa), drummer Edward Littlefield (Lingít), and many more. “We are not culturally monolithic,” said Keefe. “We each bring with us the cultural practices of our ancestors and many of our compositions are derived from traditional melodies and stories. With Incarnadine, we dive deeper into improvisatory music from the Indigenous perspective.”

Reflecting on the album’s title, Keefe mused that “while a word from Shakespeare’s Macbeth might not immediately bring “Indigenous jazz” to mind, ‘incarnadine’ means to redden. I think in many ways, the word encapsulates the goals of this band and this album. We are shining a light on history which is fraught with bloodshed and trauma, but also celebrating the brilliance and resilience of Indigenous people who survived and thrived through the beauty of their culture, prayers, and songs. We are broadening the scope of the listener’s understanding of jazz to include Native and Indigenous jazz musicians. Some people say, ‘decolonize your mind’ and I say, ‘incarnadine your mind.”

The album features music made famous by Indigenous jazz musicians from the Twentieth Century such as Mildred Bailey (Coeur d’Alene) and Jim Pepper (Kaw/Mvskoke) but also amplifies new works from musicians within the band’s ranks. Mali Obomsawin’s “Wawasint8da” is a haunting exploration of a Catholic hymn that was translated into the Abanaki language by an early French Jesuit missionary. DDAT Suite by Delbert Anderson pays homage to his tribal lands, commemorates Diné code talkers, and tells the story of an overnight train ride from Gallup, NM to Los Angeles. Keefe’s composition “Sonnet” was inspired by the poetry of Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. To quote the late Jim Pepper, “you can’t generalize about Indian music, it’s too diverse.”

“Incarnadine is musical commentary on our Indigeneity and resilience against the generational impacts of colonial powers upon the indigenous peoples of the Americas,” Keefe said. “Incarnadine offers musical history, protest, and celebration all wrapped up in one album.”

Incarnadine was recorded through the support of The Prior Performing Arts Center at the College of the Holy Cross.

About Julia Keefe:

Heralded by the New York Times as "a songbird of a jazz vocalist," Julia Keefe is an internationally acclaimed Native American singer, actor, educator, and director of the Julia Keefe Indigenous Big Band, her flagship project celebrating the diversity and vitality of Indigenous people in jazz. Her professional career has spanned over two decades, and she has headlined marquee events at the John F. Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C., as well as opened for the likes of 20-time GRAMMY Award winner Tony Bennett and 5-time GRAMMY Award winner Esperanza Spalding. Her life’s work is the revival and honoring of legendary Coeur d’Alene jazz musician Mildred Bailey. Julia earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in jazz vocal performance from the University of Miami and Manhattan School of Music respectively, and currently resides in Brooklyn, NY.

 Julia Keefe website

Thank you to Lydia Liebman for sharing with us