Sweet Baby J'ai
Encyclopedia
Sweet Baby J'ai is an American
contemporary jazz singer, songwriter, producer, arranger, playwright, and actress. She lives in Los Angeles, CA.
. At only five years old, she was already writing songs and by the age of eight, sneaking in the backdoors of clubs on 18th & Vine to watch her father play with top jazz musicians . Her uncle, Vernon Gower was a bassist with Billie Holiday
and Lionel Hampton
and her cousin Michael Howell, was the guitarist with Dizzie Gillespie .
By age ten she had started classical piano studies and by twelve she had switched to violin. She played bass in high school and some guitar in college until she got her hands on a 12 string and couldn't figure it out. When she spent some time in Louisiana with relatives she came across an old back porch band playing washboard, spoons, tubs, and combs. According to J'ai, "All sorts of wonderful sounds were coming out of them. They were playing jug or Zydeco music, but I heard the transition to jazz! ” As one critic pointed out, “This ain't no backyard hoe down…she will have you swooning before the concert is over. ”
. Shortly thereafter she could be found performing in jazz clubs in Paris. Back home in the U.S., she benefited early on in her career from the support and direction of working with the legendary, saxophonist Teddy Edwards
. For many years she worked with the gifted musicians, pianist, Nate Morgan, late greats, guitarist Ronald Muldrow
and drummer Sherman Ferguson
.
She has been heard on radio and television both nationally and internationally. She has performed extensively in the U.S., Europe and Asia and has been featured at numerous concert halls, festivals, clubs and benefits, from the Walt Disney Concert Hall
, Ford Amphitheater, Playboy Jazz Festival
to Tokyo Concert Hall, Casablanca's Super Dome and more. Sweet Baby J'ai has won awards and been recognized as “Best Entertainer”, “Pick of the Week” and “Pick of the Month”, many times (LA Times, NY Times, LA Weekly, Music Connection Magazine) .
Past projects include her debut 1998 release, “The Art of Blue”, followed in 2003 by “Evolution” both featuring pianist Nate Morgan and saxophonist, Teddy Edwards. In 2005 came, “Jazz Baby” where Sweet Baby J’ai worked with Janis Siegel, Freddie Cole, Rosemary Clooney
and others for a children’s compilation jazz album. “Prove It On Me” released in January 2008 is a soundtrack from Dee Jae Cox’s play of the same name in which Sweet Baby J’ai starred.
Her theatrical background includes the award-winning roles of Mary, in “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie”, Josephine Baker
in “C’est Bon”, and Blues Speak Woman in George C. Wolfe
’s,“Spunk”. She has received critical acclaim for her role as Billie Holiday in the musicals , Sang Sista’ Sang and Voices, and Beneatha, in A Raisin in the Sun
. Her play, 3 Women: A Dramatic Tribute to the Divas of Jazz and Blues, which she co-wrote and starred in, has toured theaters both nationally and internationally. Bessie, Billie & Ruth, the film she wrote, was chosen as the official selection at the Pan African Film Festival, and has been viewed on PBS stations across the nation.
Sweet Baby J’ai’s latest album, “Introducing J’ai Michel”, released August 2008, produced by renowned producer, arranger, pianist Jane Getz
and Grammy Award winner, Bob Tucker have a mix of R&B, pop, jazz, rock, blues, and spoken word. It features percussionist, Perico Hernandez.
2007: Prove It On Me
2005: Jazz Baby
2003: Evolution
1998: The Art of Blue
DVDS / Films
2008: World Stage Stories (Haikeem Productions)
2003: Bessie, Billie Ruth (Traipsing Thru Films)
2002: Divas Breaking Taboos (Traipsing Thru Films)
2001: Yo Alien (Daughters to Feed Productions)
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
contemporary jazz singer, songwriter, producer, arranger, playwright, and actress. She lives in Los Angeles, CA.
Background
J'ai Janett Michel was first called Sweet Baby by her mother, who claimed she was the sweetest child ever born. The nickname stuck. Born to Helen and John T., J'ai grew up in Kansas CityKansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. At only five years old, she was already writing songs and by the age of eight, sneaking in the backdoors of clubs on 18th & Vine to watch her father play with top jazz musicians . Her uncle, Vernon Gower was a bassist with Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday
Billie Holiday was an American jazz singer and songwriter. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and musical partner Lester Young, Holiday had a seminal influence on jazz and pop singing...
and Lionel Hampton
Lionel Hampton
Lionel Leo Hampton was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. Like Red Norvo, he was one of the first jazz vibraphone players. Hampton ranks among the great names in jazz history, having worked with a who's who of jazz musicians, from Benny Goodman and Buddy...
and her cousin Michael Howell, was the guitarist with Dizzie Gillespie .
By age ten she had started classical piano studies and by twelve she had switched to violin. She played bass in high school and some guitar in college until she got her hands on a 12 string and couldn't figure it out. When she spent some time in Louisiana with relatives she came across an old back porch band playing washboard, spoons, tubs, and combs. According to J'ai, "All sorts of wonderful sounds were coming out of them. They were playing jug or Zydeco music, but I heard the transition to jazz! ” As one critic pointed out, “This ain't no backyard hoe down…she will have you swooning before the concert is over. ”
Career
Sweet Baby J'ai got her start under the guidance of her mentor, the legendary Phil MoorePhil Moore (jazz musician)
Phil Moore was an African American jazz pianist, orchestral arranger, band leader, and recording artist.-Biography:...
. Shortly thereafter she could be found performing in jazz clubs in Paris. Back home in the U.S., she benefited early on in her career from the support and direction of working with the legendary, saxophonist Teddy Edwards
Teddy Edwards
Theodore Marcus "Teddy" Edwards was an American jazz tenor saxophonist based on the West Coast of the US. Some consider him to be one of the most influential jazz saxophonists.-Biography:...
. For many years she worked with the gifted musicians, pianist, Nate Morgan, late greats, guitarist Ronald Muldrow
Ronald Muldrow
Ronald Muldrow was a soul jazz and hard bop jazz guitarist.As an emerging jazz guitarist in the early 1970s, Muldrow connected with soul-jazz saxophonist Eddie Harris on albums such as That Is Why You're Overweight and Listen Here .A teenage Muldrow heard jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery play...
and drummer Sherman Ferguson
Sherman Ferguson
Sherman Ferguson was an American jazz drummer.Ferguson first played professionally in the middle of the 1960s, working with Charles Earland and Al Martino that decade. Concomitantly he worked as a child tutor for the Model Cities program in Philadelphia...
.
She has been heard on radio and television both nationally and internationally. She has performed extensively in the U.S., Europe and Asia and has been featured at numerous concert halls, festivals, clubs and benefits, from the Walt Disney Concert Hall
Walt Disney Concert Hall
The Walt Disney Concert Hall at 111 South Grand Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, California is the fourth hall of the Los Angeles Music Center. Bounded by Hope Street, Grand Avenue, 1st and 2nd Streets, it seats 2,265 people and serves as the home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra and the...
, Ford Amphitheater, Playboy Jazz Festival
Playboy Jazz Festival
The Playboy Jazz Festival is an annual event sponsored by Playboy Enterprises to celebrate jazz as well as feature both established and up and coming musicians of the genre. It was founded by Hugh Hefner and was first held in Chicago, Illinois at the Chicago Stadium in 1959. However, the second...
to Tokyo Concert Hall, Casablanca's Super Dome and more. Sweet Baby J'ai has won awards and been recognized as “Best Entertainer”, “Pick of the Week” and “Pick of the Month”, many times (LA Times, NY Times, LA Weekly, Music Connection Magazine) .
Past projects include her debut 1998 release, “The Art of Blue”, followed in 2003 by “Evolution” both featuring pianist Nate Morgan and saxophonist, Teddy Edwards. In 2005 came, “Jazz Baby” where Sweet Baby J’ai worked with Janis Siegel, Freddie Cole, Rosemary Clooney
Rosemary Clooney
Rosemary Clooney was an American singer and actress. She came to prominence in the early 1950s with the novelty hit "Come On-a My House" written by William Saroyan and his cousin Ross Bagdasarian , which was followed by other pop numbers such as "Botch-a-Me" Rosemary Clooney (May 23, 1928 –...
and others for a children’s compilation jazz album. “Prove It On Me” released in January 2008 is a soundtrack from Dee Jae Cox’s play of the same name in which Sweet Baby J’ai starred.
Her theatrical background includes the award-winning roles of Mary, in “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie”, Josephine Baker
Josephine Baker
Josephine Baker was an American dancer, singer, and actress who found fame in her adopted homeland of France. She was given such nicknames as the "Bronze Venus", the "Black Pearl", and the "Créole Goddess"....
in “C’est Bon”, and Blues Speak Woman in George C. Wolfe
George C. Wolfe
George Costello Wolfe is an American playwright and director of theater and film. He won a Tony Award in 1993 for directing Angels in America: Millennium Approaches and another Tony Award in 1996 for his direction of the musical, Bring in 'da Noise/Bring in 'da Funk.-Early life and...
’s,“Spunk”. She has received critical acclaim for her role as Billie Holiday in the musicals , Sang Sista’ Sang and Voices, and Beneatha, in A Raisin in the Sun
A Raisin in the Sun
A Raisin in the Sun is a play by Lorraine Hansberry that debuted on Broadway in 1959. The title comes from the poem "Harlem" by Langston Hughes...
. Her play, 3 Women: A Dramatic Tribute to the Divas of Jazz and Blues, which she co-wrote and starred in, has toured theaters both nationally and internationally. Bessie, Billie & Ruth, the film she wrote, was chosen as the official selection at the Pan African Film Festival, and has been viewed on PBS stations across the nation.
Sweet Baby J’ai’s latest album, “Introducing J’ai Michel”, released August 2008, produced by renowned producer, arranger, pianist Jane Getz
Jane Getz
Jane Getz is an American jazz pianist and session musician.Getz learned classical piano as a child and began playing jazz at the age of nine. She lived in California early in life but when she was sixteen moved to New York City...
and Grammy Award winner, Bob Tucker have a mix of R&B, pop, jazz, rock, blues, and spoken word. It features percussionist, Perico Hernandez.
Discography
2008: Introducing J'ai Michel2007: Prove It On Me
2005: Jazz Baby
2003: Evolution
1998: The Art of Blue
DVDS / Films
2008: World Stage Stories (Haikeem Productions)
2003: Bessie, Billie Ruth (Traipsing Thru Films)
2002: Divas Breaking Taboos (Traipsing Thru Films)
2001: Yo Alien (Daughters to Feed Productions)