Women To Watch: 3 Young Jazz Artists You Need To Know

One question we often hear at Jazz Night in America is, 'Who are the young musicians to look out for?' There are many contenders, of course, and we try to do our part in featuring their efforts. To that end, this episode of Jazz Night spotlights three bright women coming into their own as artists: Vocalist and flutist Melanie Charles, and saxophonists Lakecia Benjamin and María Grand. Each woman has a unique story to tell, as we'll hear in this show, which also features a healthy dose of their music, recorded on the bandstand at Dizzy's Club in New York.

SET LIST

• "Spiral" (John Coltrane)
• "Liberia" (John Coltrane)
• "West" (María Grand)
• "Damballah Wedo" (Traditional - Arrangement: Eddy Bourjolly)
• "Symphony" (Melanie Charles)
• "Billie's Blues" (Billie Holiday)

MUSICIANS

Lakecia Benjamin Quartet: Lakecia Benjamin, alto saxophone; Yeisson Villamar, piano; Lonnie Plaxico, bass; Darrell Green, drums.

María Grand Quartet: María Grand, tenor saxophone and vocals; Faye Victor, vocals; Savannah Harris, drums; Kanoa Mendonhall, drums.

Melanie Charles and Make Jazz Trill Again: Melanie Charles, flute and vocals; Jonathan Michel, bass; Luke Carlos O'Reilly, piano; Charles Haynes, drums; Godwin Louis, soprano saxophone; Rogerst Charles, alto saxophone.

CREDITS

Producer: Sarah Kerson; Senior Producer: Katie Simon; Senior Director of NPR Music: Lauren Onkey; Executive Producers: Amy Niles, Gabrielle Armand, Anya Grundman; Project Manager: Suraya Mohamed; Recording Engineer: Rob Macomber.

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