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Gary Walker’s enthusiasm for jazz greets WBGO listeners every morning on Daybreak. Walker hosts the morning show and, by his own admission, he’s truly having a great time. He’s the winner of the 1996 Gavin Magazine Jazz Radio Personality of the Year award and the recipient of the 2021 Marian McPartland-Willis Conover Award for Career Achievement in Broadcasting from the Jazz Journalists Association. After more than 40 years with WBGO, legendary artists continue to visit the studios, many to join Walker during Daybreak. He believes their visits are part of what set the station apart from other jazz outlets. However, he also believes that other WBGO announcers, producers and programming staff contribute to the distinction of the station. “I think that because of the knowledge we have here, the fun we have here and the music that is created here,” he says. “No one else does what we do.”
Jose James
Jose James
judge
Across 17 years as a singer, songwriter, bandleader and producer — not to mention co-head of the fearless Rainbow Blonde Records since 2018 — José James has dived deep into genres, eras, scenes and songbooks. Blessed with a silken baritone, James first turned heads on his 2008 debut The Dreamer by subtly swirling contemporary jazz with hip hop instrumentation. There was his stunning Blue Note breakthrough No Beginning No End (2013); an album of standards For All We Know (2010); the rock-addled While You Were Sleeping (2014); and that time he became a modern R&B star for Love in a Time of Madness (2017). He’s also taken a Method approach to covers projects like 2015’s Yesterday I Had the Blues (Billie Holiday), 2018’s Lean On Me (Bill Withers), and 2023’s On & On (Erykah Badu). His latest album is 1978: Revenge of the Dragon (2025).
T.S. Monk
T.S. Monk
judge
Drummer, bandleader, composer and vocalist T.S. Monk, who began playing drums as a child, joined his father’s trio as a young man and toured with him until the elder Monk’s retirement in 1975. T.S. Monk then launched into R&B with his own band and made two hit recordings, House Of Music and More Of The Good Life. To honor his father’s legacy, he founded the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. In 1992, Monk formed the T. S. Monk Sextet, which has been heard at the JVC Jazz at the Bowl festival, Sun Valley Center and many legendary jazz clubs. Monk received DownBeat’s prestigious Album of the Year Reader’s Choice Award for Monk On Monk, an 80th birthday tribute to his father featuring Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Arturo Sandoval and Dianne Reeves.
Jason Olaine
Jason Olaine
judge
Jason Olaine is VP of Programming for Jazz at Lincoln Center where he manages the institution’s season artistic concepts and concert performances including Rose Theater, the Appel Room and Dizzy’s Club, reporting directly to Wynton Marsalis since 2012. Past gigs include Artistic Director Newport Jazz Festival and JVC Jazz Festival New York; Artistic Director Yoshi’s San Francisco and Yoshi’s Oakland; General Manager Monterey Jazz Festival Records; VP of Programming Festival Network; Director of A&R, Staff Producer Verve Records; Asst. Jazz Editor, Gavin Report; and trumpet player. He is a GRAMMY®-winning record producer with more than 30 albums to his credit, including Directions In Music with Herbie Hancock/Michael Brecker/Roy Hargrove; Disney’s Everybody Wants To Be A Cat featuring Dianne Reeves, Esperanza Spalding and Dave Brubeck; six albums with pianist Joey Alexander including the forthcoming 2026 release featuring Lisa Fischer; and many more.
Getchen Parlato
Getchen Parlato
judge
Gretchen Parlato is a GRAMMY®-nominated vocalist, songwriter and producer celebrated as one of the most captivating voices in modern jazz. Known for her intimate sound and rhythmic elegance, she has released acclaimed albums including Flor, Live in NYC and Lean In with Lionel Loueke. A winner of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocal Competition, Parlato has performed worldwide at venues such as the Hollywood Bowl, Carnegie Hall and The Kennedy Center as well as at major festivals including Montreal, North Sea, and London Jazz Festivals. She has also been featured on over 100 recordings, collaborating with artists across genres and generations. Currently based in Los Angeles and teaching at UCLA, she continues to inspire with forthcoming album, The Wise Ones to be released in fall 2026.
Lillias White
Lillias White
judge
Lillias White has appeared in numerous Broadway shows including Barnum, Hadestown, Cats, Carrie, Dreamgirls and Fela! (Tony Award nomination). She won the Tony Award, Drama Desk Award and Outer Critics Circle Award for The Life. White was seen in the world premiere of Half Time at the Paper Mill Playhouse and has performed at the Public Theater in William Finn’s Romance In Hard Times (Obie Award), Dinah Was at the Gramercy Theatre and Crowns at the Second Stage (Audelco Award). White’s concert appearances include the critically-acclaimed cabaret show The Lillias White Effect (Bistro Award) and her one-woman show, From Brooklyn To Broadway. She has graced the stages at The Kennedy Center, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Sydney Australia Opera House, the Singapore Opera House and the Palm Beach Pops.
Kate Kortum
Kate Kortum
2025 winner
Kate Kortum is a Houston-born jazz vocalist with a warm, distinctive sound that seamlessly blends the blues, bebop and Broadway. Kortum issued her debut album Good Woman (2023) to critical and streaming acclaim, surpassing 3.5 million streams for its imaginative reworkings of jazz standards from a female perspective. Her sophomore release Wild Woman (2025) follows, continuing her fresh, story-driven approach to bebop, blues and The Great American Songbook. A graduate of the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music and the Juilliard School, Kortum has appeared at Mezzrow, SXSW, Birdland, Blue Note and Dizzy’s, collaborating with Peter Bernstein, Emmet Cohen, Bryan Carter, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.
April May Webb
April May Webb
2024 Winner
April May Webb, from Newton, Kansas, is a musician, composer, educator and co-founder of the jazz ensemble Sounds of A&R. A 2023 Chamber Music America Grant recipient and 2023 Jazz Road Artist, April May has toured with jazz legends such as Thelonious Sphere Monk III and was selected by NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater as a Woodshed Network recipient. She also took center stage in internationally acclaimed artist Tschabalala Self’s New York play Sounding Board.
April May made history as the first black woman to graduate from the William Paterson University Jazz Education program, where she studied under the late great pianist Mulgrew Miller. She is dedicated to artistic innovation and the continuing evolution of jazz on the global stage.
Tyreek McDole, 23, captivates audiences with his velvety voice and polished delivery. Since his singing career began at 18, he’s been compared to legends such as Andy Bey, Johnny Hartman and the illustrious Joe Williams. McDole made his vocal debut at the acclaimed Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington competition where he won the Outstanding Vocalist Award. Since then, McDole has graced the stage with some of the best in the business including NEA Jazz Master Gary Bartz, Rodney Whitaker, Theo Croker, Nicholas Payton, Ted Nash, Russell Hall, Jonathan Michel, Eric Reed, Carl Allen and many others. A graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, McDole plays in venues and performance spaces across the U.S. and remains a sought-after vocalist in New York City.
Lucía Gutiérrez Rebolloso
Lucía Gutiérrez Rebolloso
2022 winner
Lucía Gutiérrez Rebolloso is a 21-year-old singer, born and raised in Veracruz, Mexico. She started singing at age 5 in her parents’ son jarocho group, “Son de Madera.” (Son jarocho is a musical style originating in the Gulf Coast of Mexico.) Later she discovered jazz and became interested in the genre. In 2022, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in jazz studies from Universidad Veracruzana. She was a finalist in the solo category in the “Young Jazz Award” of the National Jazz Orchestra of Mexico and was the first place winner in the ensemble category where she sang with the a cappella group, NAWI. Currently, she is recording her first solo album and working as a backup singer and vocal director for the Mexican artist Natalia Lafourcade.
G. Thomas Allen
G. Thomas Allen
2021 winner
Vocalist, composer, and music educator G. Thomas Allen is known for his remarkable vocal flexibility, warm timbre and cross-genre experimentation. He has worked with the late David Baker and the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, performing Duke Ellington’s: Sacred Concerts at the Strathmore Hall, and has shared the stage with influencers such as Bobby Broom, Pharez Whitted and Dennis Luxion. As bandleader, he released his debut self-titled album in 2020, which hit No. #1 of the iTunes jazz charts. Thomas is a two-time graduate of Morgan State University, with degrees in Vocal Performance and Speech Communication. He currently serves as the Jazz and Contemporary Voice Instructor at ChiArts and on the voice faculty of Columbia College Chicago (CCC).
Gabrielle Cavassa
Gabrielle Cavassa
June 2021 Winner - 1st place tie
Gabrielle Cavassa is New Orleans-based singer-composer who has garnered attention for her distinctive voice and intimate expression. She was also a Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition finalist in 2018. Originally from California, Cavassa became acquainted with jazz at a young age, when she began collecting, cataloging and listening to records before venturing out onto San Francisco’s live jazz scene. In 2017, Cavassa moved to New Orleans where she began touring with some of the city’s most creative voices, including Adonis Rose & The New Orleans Jazz Orchestra and Irvin Mayfield. In August 2020, Cavassa celebrated the independent release of her self- titled debut record.
Tawanda Suessbrich-Joaquim
Tawanda Suessbrich-Joaquim
June 2021 Winner - 1st place tie
Tawanda Suessbrich-Joaquim, a 24-year-old singer-songwriter from New Mexico., graduated in 2017 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Contemporary Music from Santa Fe University of Art and Design, where she studied vocal jazz with both Mirabai Daniels and with the chair of her program, saxophonist and flute-player Horace Alexander Young. In Santa Fe she performed with pianist John Rangel, presented live music at El Meson and honored the cultural diversity of New Mexican artists at Burque Noir events. Last year, she moved to Los Angeles. Tawanda is inspired by iconic singers Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan, as well as contemporary jazz stars including Esperanza Spalding and 2013 Sarah Vaughan competition winner Jazzmeia Horn.
Samara Joy
Samara Joy
2019 Winner
Born and raised in the Castle Hill section of the Bronx, Samara Joy is a rising star destined for greatness. New to the scene, she has managed to perform in many great jazz rooms such as Dizzy’s Club Coca Cola, Mezzrow, and the infamous Blue Note in New York City with seasoned professionals such as Pasquale Grasso, Jon Faddis, and NEA Jazz Master Dr. Barry Harris. She has also held a position as a vocal teaching assistant for the Jazz House Kids summer program, run by Christian McBride. She is currently a junior in the prestigious Jazz Studies program within SUNY Purchase. Still staying true to her roots, Samara remains a volunteer in the music department at her home church of World Changers Church New York on the Grand Concourse. Having a passionate love for jazz music, she hopes to use its uniting force as a catalyst for change in the years to come.
Laurin Talese
Laurin Talese
2018 Winner
Laurin Talese has been captivating audiences with her voice since the age of 10. A native of Cleveland, she earned a bachelor’s degree in jazz vocal performance at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She has worked with such recording artists as Bilal and Robert Glasper and has shared the stage with the Cleveland Orchestra, The Moses Hogan Chorale and the Mozarteum Orchestra of Salzburg. A passionate songwriter, she released her debut album, Gorgeous Chaos, in partnership with producers Ulysses Owens Jr. and Adam Blackstone.
Quiana Lynell
Quiana Lynell
2017 Winner
Singer and songwriter Quiana Lynell has performed as a soloist with jazz and symphony orchestras alike. Whether performing for a few or many, Lynell “takes the listener on a journey with the emotion of the blues, accompanied by the discipline of classical, topped off with the elegance of jazz,” noted a journalist in Europe. Studying vocal performance at Louisiana State University outfitted Lynell with the skills to store an impressive repertoire and to showcase her multi-octave instrument. She’s worked alongside masters of jazz and the American Songbook, such as Terence Blanchard, the Preservation Hall Band and Aaron Neville. “I see music as the soundtrack of life and I enjoy each opportunity to share memories and moments in the lives of those around me,” she says.
Deelee Dubé
Deelee Dubé
2016 Winner
An accomplished singer-songwriter, born and raised in London, Deelee Dubé often performs on London’s live music circuit and is the resident singer at saxophonist Rentao D’Aiello’s “Acoustic Jazz Lounge” at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club. She has been featured on several collaborative projects with renowned artists and musicians, such as guitarist John Jallow, with whom she released the successful single, “Rainy Day Blues.” Dubé’s versatile and soulful voice has been heard by audiences throughout Europe and the U.S., and her sound has been compared to such greats as Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday. She is currently working on original material and projects with other musicians and producers.
Arianna Neikrug
Arianna Neikrug
2015 Winner
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Arianna is a jazz/pop vocalist, songwriter, arranger, and recent concord music group recording artist currently stationed in new york city. She graduated with a bachelor of music degree in studio music and jazz (vocal) performance from the frost school of music at the University of Miami in May of 2015. Arianna has already made her mark in the jazz world. She has shared the stage with various artists including George Coleman, Laurence Hobgood, steve miller, Alice Cooper, Kenny Burrell, Neil Young, Al Jarreau, Mindy Abair, James Moody, George Benson, Karrin Allyson, Gretchen Parlato, and Roseanna Vitro. She has performed at some of the hottest jazz clubs in the United States, including Jazz Standard and Birdland in NYC, Catalina Jazz Club and Blue Whale in Los Angeles, SFJAZZ Center in San Francisco, Dazzle Jazz Club in Denver, South Jazz Kitchen in Philly, and Spaghettini in Seal Beach. In August 2018, Arianna released her debut album “Changes” on Concord Records, in collaboration with pianist, arranger, producer and 2010 GRAMMY® winner, Laurence Hobgood. The album also features bassist Matt Clohesy and drummer Jared Schonig.
Ashleigh Smith
Ashleigh Smith
2014 Winner
Sultry, soulful, and sincere are what audiences have said of up and coming vocalist Ashleigh Smith. From the small town of LaGrange, this Georgia Peach is new to Texas soil; however, she is no stranger to the stage. On scholarship as a vocal jazz major at the University of North Texas, under the instruction of Rosana Eckert & Dr. Timothy Brent, music has always been Ashleigh’s passion and first love. She has performed for thousands of people across the state of Georgia and has begun to do the same in Texas, singing at private parties and other venues around North Texas, including the large Denton Jazz and Arts Festival for three years.
Jazzmeia Horn
Jazzmeia Horn
2013 Winner
New York-based performer Jazzmeia Horn is a gifted jazz vocalist with an inventive, scat-influenced style that helped her win both the 2013 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Competition and 2015 Thelonious Monk International Vocal Jazz Competition. Following her Monk win, she released her Grammy-nominated 2017 debut album, A Social Call. Born in Dallas, Texas, in 1991, Horn grew up in a creative, spiritually-minded family and was first introduced to singing by her grandmother, a gospel pianist with an abiding love of jazz.
Horn’s profile rose significantly when she won Newark’s 2013 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Competition. Two years later, she solidified her place as a bona fide star after taking first place in the Thelonious Monk International Vocal Jazz Competition. In 2017, as part of her Monk Competition prize, she released her debut full-length album, A Social Call, on Concord Records. She returned in 2019 with her sophomore album, Love & Liberation, which featured a cover of Erykah Badu’s “Green Eyes.” It received a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album.
Cyrille Aimée
Cyrille Aimée
2012 Winner
Improvisation is not just a technique for GRAMMY-nominated artist Cyrille Aimée, it’s a way of life. The acclaimed vocalist ventured from singing on street corners in Europe to dazzling audiences at the world’s most prestigious jazz festivals; from sneaking out to sing in gypsy encampments in her native France to acting on Broadway; from braving the notoriously tough audiences at New York’s Apollo Theatre to being called a “rising star in the galaxy of jazz singers” by The New York Times.
Among countless accolades, Aimée won the Montreux Jazz Festival Vocal Competition and the Sarah Vaughn International Jazz Vocal Competition. As an actress, Aimée co-starred with Bernadette Peters in a Stephen Sondheim tribute at New York’s City Center which inspired her to dig deeper into Sondheim’s repertoire, resulting in her fourth and most recent album, Move On: A Sondheim Adventure. She’s shared her story via masterclasses, a TEDx talk, and a few addresses at the Conference on World Affairs.