Pianist Helen Sung Live At The Blue Note

Performing right now with the Mingus Big Band and with the Ed Jackson Quartet and serving as piano faculty for the UMass-Amherst's Jazz in July Summer Music Program, jazz pianist Helen Sung is hot. Hear for yourself on her album Live At The Blue Note.

Personnel: Helen Sung, piano; Steve Wilson, alto/soprano saxophones; Dwayne Burno, bass; Donald Edwards, drums

From her bio:

An award-winning classical pianist before jazz intervened...,  Houston native Helen Sung is blazing her own path. A Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance graduate, she went on to win the Kennedy Center's Mary Lou Williams Jazz Piano Competition and is now enchanting listeners everywhere with an imaginative, modern artistry that thoroughly captivates: her music swings, it's funky, intelligent, and utterly unique.

In addition to her first-rate albums and band, Sung currently appears with fine ensembles including the Mingus Big Band, T.S.Monk, and Terri Lyne Carrington's Grammy-winning Mosaic Project. Take the journey with this rising artist named by Wynton Marsalis as one of his 2011 "Who's Got Next: Jazz Musicians to Watch"!

Official Website | Flickr | YouTube 

Music License: © All Rights Reserved
Artist Location: New York, USA
* Sung's website was built by Ben Azzara

Bridget Kelly

Despite her pretty face and beautiful voice, Bridget Kelly sings some straight up thug love songs about drinking, guns, and murder. There are some more traditional love songs in the mix, but the lady is a bad ass. She would have to be to hold her own on Jay-Z's Roc Nation label.

With Jay-Z as her boss, and label mates like J. Cole, Willow Smith and Jay Electronica, Bridget Kelly is in good company n the music industry, but it's no wonder that she feels a lot of pressure....

"There's a ton of pressure! My boss is married to the No. 1 chick in the game."

-- in November interview with The Boombox

Her debut album will launch this spring, until then, treat yourself to her free 8-song demo, Every Girl. [click "download", not "download all"]

license: traditional copyrights

Chrisette Michele

The beautiful voice of Def Jam artist and Grammy Award winner Chrisette Michele rolls like the sea. The girl is a lady, and she exudes class.

The Long Island native released a free concept album of songs purportedly inspired by the films of Audrey Hepburn.

Audrey Hepburn: An Audiovisual Presentation in the lead up to her Better LP, due out in 2013 on Def Jam. Michele invited 2Chainz, Rob Glasper, Kenneth Whalum, Nello Luchi, Dunson, Bilal, her brother Lem Payne, and Wale to join her on this smooth, gorgeous, lush album. The result is lovely.

Download and stream via DatPiff or DJBooth.

• "Pray Me Well" Feat. Rob Glasper
• "Charades" Feat. 2 Chainz
• "Favela Chic" Feat. Kenneth Whalum
• "Love In The Afternoon" Feat. Nello Luchi
• "Rich Hipster" Feat. Wale
• "Can The Cool Be Loved" Feat. Dunson and Bilal
• "Your Fair Lady" Feat. Guitar Slayer
• "My Heart" Feat. Lem Payne
• "Kudurista" Feat. Fogo and Lem Payne