Jazzmeia Horn is an ambassador for the riches of African-American artistry

The Artistry of… Jazzmeia Horn

African-American is a unique culture, heritage, richness and essence. Jazzmeia Horn is a spirited artist-ambassador of the riches of American artistry and is unabashedly proud of her heritage, culturally and artistically.

Jazzmeia Horn is an American jazz singer and songwriter. She established her dynamic presence as winner of the 2015 Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Competition. In her sound are elements of the music that have weathered time, purposed and unflagging, through a uniquely historical journey.

Born in Dallas into a deeply rooted churchgoing family, Horn’s earliest influences reflect the church. Jazz came later in her teens. Elements of Betty Carter, Sarah Vaughan and Nancy Wilson mix with those of jazz masters John Coltrane and Miles Davis. In her own words, she states how their artistry affected her: “Because they sounded like vocalists, though they had a different type of vocabulary.” She has also said this, and it is as simple as it is as purposed as her singing: “My name is Jazzmeia Horn, and that is not a mistake… God does not make mistakes.”