Ever notice how her quieter moments channel the vulnerability of Chet Baker? That fragile, almost breaking tone. Then she’ll flip into something fiery, and there’s Sarah Vaughan’s boldness. But the real kicker? Her love for Brazilian music. A bossa nova twist in her phrasing, a samba-like syncopation—it’s subtle, but it’s there. She doesn’t just study jazz; she steals from everywhere, then makes it sound like it was always hers.
She’s like a jazz historian with a microphone. Every time I listen to her, I hear shades of Carmen McRae’s sharp wit and Betty Carter’s daring harmonies. But what’s cool is how she filters it through a 21st-century lens—like when she reimagined a classic blues tune with synth pads. Her collaborators say she geeks out over obscure vinyl, from Abbey Lincoln’s activism to the way Nancy Wilson could make a whisper sound huge. It’s not just mimicry, though; she remixes those lessons into something entirely hers.
Jazz has always been a tapestry of influences, and this singer’s style is no exception. You can hear the smoky, soulful echoes of Billie Holiday in her phrasing—those subtle bends and pauses that make every lyric feel like a confession. Then there’s Ella Fitzgerald’s technical brilliance, especially in her scatting and improvisation. But what really stands out is how she blends those classics with modern touches, like the rhythmic playfulness of Esperanza Spalding or the raw emotion of Cecile McLorin Salvant. It’s like she’s weaving a bridge between eras.
Beyond the obvious vocal legends, she’s mentioned in interviews how instrumentalists shaped her too—Miles Davis’s muted trumpet taught her about space and silence, while John Coltrane’s intensity influenced her boldest performances. Even non-jazz artists seep in; I caught a hint of Nina Simone’s activism in her lyric choices once. It’s this collage of inspirations that makes her feel both timeless and fresh.
What fascinates me is how her influences aren’t just musical. She’s talked about how poets like Langston Hughes shaped her approach to lyrics, giving her songs that same layered richness. Vocally, yeah, you can trace lines to the greats—the warmth of Etta James, the precision of Shirley Horn. But she also credits theater; seeing Audra McDonald in 'Lady Day' taught her how to embody a song’s story. Even her stage presence borrows from tap dancers’ rhythm—sudden stops, playful delays. It’s jazz, but it’s also everything else that swings.
If you dig into her live performances, the influences practically wink at you. Sarah Vaughan’s operatic vibrato sneaks into her ballads, and you’ll spot Dianne Reeves’ storytelling flair in her original songs. But here’s the twist: she’s also a total hip-hop head. She once covered a jazz standard over a J Dilla beat at a tiny club show, and suddenly it all clicked—her groove has that same off-kilter swing. Folks focus on the jazz greats (rightfully so), but her playlist probably has as much D’Angelo as it does Dinah Washington.
2026-07-02 14:50:26
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