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Sweet Baby J’ai (pronounced Jay) is one of the most respected and multi-faceted performers today. doesn’t just take the stage—she transforms it. She owns it, flips it, and turns it into a sanctuary of soul. A multi-award-winning vocalist, storyteller, activist, author, educator, producer and cultural architect, J’ai has been bending genres and breaking molds for decades.
Few entertainers command a stage like the indefatigable Sweet Baby J’ai. A genre-defying artist, she has toured the world embracing and expanding the jazz tradition while fusing blues, spoken word, and unfiltered truth into her signature sound. From New York to London, Casablanca to Tokyo, Paris to Jakarta, and far beyond, her sensual, powerful vocals and fierce storytelling have captivated audiences and critics alike. Some call her a jazz singer, others a blues singer—but all agree she is, above all, a masterful storyteller.
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Whether fronting a big band, rallying a crowd with a battle cry, or producing a festival that moves an entire city to its feet, J’ai performs with grit, grace, and soul-stirring precision. But Sweet Baby J’ai is more than a performer—she’s a movement.
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As the Founder and Executive Artistic Director of the Sunset Music & Education Foundation (SMEF), Sweet Baby J’ai has created powerful platforms that uplift women, LGBTQ+ artists, artists of color, seniors, and youth. She is the visionary behind multiple festivals—including the Sunset Music & Comedy Festival, Juneteenth Fest, and co-founder of the Palm Springs Women’s Jazz Festival—that celebrate artistry while building community. Her intergenerational vision is embodied in SMEF’s SMARTS Initiative (Sharing Music, Accessing Resources, Transforming Students), which places instruments and scholarships directly into the hands of underserved youth.
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A lifelong activist, J’ai uses her artistry to spark change, blending culture and politics with unapologetic truth. Her new podcast, PERIOD DOT!, takes that same fire to the mic—breaking down politics, culture, and conversation with rhythm, humor, and soul, amplifying voices that too often go unheard. For J’ai, music and activism go hand in hand: neither is just performance—it’s liberation.
Her dedication to uplifting women in the industry shines through her Women in Jazz All-Stars, honoring their contributions and creating space for their brilliance. From concept to execution, Sweet Baby J’ai’s events push artistic boundaries, delivering unforgettable experiences that resonate worldwide.
A recipient of numerous accolades—including three Bravo Entertainer of the Year awards, two Blues and Soul Magazine awards for Best Jazz Vocal Performance, the U.S. Jazz Ambassador title, the Living Jazz Legend Award, the L-Fund Visionary Award, the Brothers of the Desert Legacy Award, induction into the California Jazz & Blues Hall of Fame, and the HRC Advocate of Equality Award—her impact extends far beyond the stage.
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Sweet Baby J’ai is what happens when soul meets strategy—and the result is magic that moves culture forward. With a global fanbase and critically acclaimed albums, she continues to redefine the boundaries of music while inspiring audiences with her artistry and passion.
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She has shared the stage with luminaries including Herbie Hancock, Diane Schuur, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Joe Sample, Melissa Etheridge, Etta James, Jill Scott, Tom Waits, Koko Taylor, Patrice Rushen, Sheila E., Tramaine Hawkins, Stanley Turrentine, Eddie Harris, and many more.
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In early life J’ai was first called Sweet Baby by her mother, claiming she was the sweetest child ever born, the name stuck. Music was an integral part of her life since childhood, often being serenaded by Miles, Bird, Ella or Billie, albums her father would put on to lull her to sleep. J’ai grew up in a city rich with musical history, Kansas City, home to legends like Big Joe Turner, Charlie “Bird” Parker and Count Basie. 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 and blues 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, by twelve she had switched to violin. “I played a little bass in high school, some guitar in college until I got my hands on a 12 string and couldn’t figure it out. It wasn’t until I spent some time in Louisiana with relatives, and came across an old back porch band playing washboard, spoons, tubs, and combs, that I felt I had found home. All sorts of wonderful sounds were coming out of them. They were playing jug or Zydeco music, but I heard the transition to jazz,” says J’ai. Talented both as a vocalist and musician, she takes unconventional instruments, the washboard and spoons, and claims them as her own special sound. As one critic pointed out, “This ain’t no backyard hoe down...she will have you swooning before the concert is over.” Whether singing a soulful ballad or a rocking original, she weaves her special magic through songs seemingly tailor-made for her intimate style.
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Past projects include her chart climbing albums: debut 1997 release, THE ART OF BLUE, followed in 2003 by EVOLUTION both featuring the genius of pianist Nate Morgan and saxophonist, Teddy Edwards. In 2005 came, JAZZ BABY where Sweet Baby J’ai joined forces with Janis Siegel, Freddie Cole, Rosemary Clooney and others for a fun filled children’s compilation jazz album. PROVE IT ON ME released in 2008 is a soundtrack from Dee Jae Cox’s play of the same name in which Sweet Baby J’ai starred. This roaring 1920’s romp allows J’ai to do what she does so well - take the listener on a journey through time and space. Also in 2008 INTRODUCING J’AI MICHEL was released to wide acclaim, an eclectic mix of jazz pop and blues and featured legendary percussionist Perico Hernandez. The 2013 single release of BLACK MAGIC WOMAN sold out the first week of it’s release, and the 2015 DIW release of FOR VOCAL JAZZ FANS ONLY hit the air waves in Japan before going worldwide.​ STRAIGHT TO THAT PLACE, showcases sublime offerings melding jazz, blues, pop and Latin. There are incredible nuances and bold statements happening simultaneously - respected for her considerable gifts as a vocalist and songwriter, J’ai’s original compositions draw us in with their openhearted lyrics, working into our consciousness and taking us to wondrous places. She breathes new life into classics with great reinterpretations giving us a new scope to appreciate timeless songs with a different perspective. Her deeply soulful vocals are infectious, and the stellar support by musicians Mimi Fox, Nolan Shaheed, Jane Getz, Karen Hammack, Chris Colangelo, Peter Buck, Carol Chaikin, Bob Tucker and others are electrifying. Straight To That Place delivers on what it promises, taking its listeners straight to wonderland!
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SUNSET MUSIC GROUP
1900 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite 52
Palm Springs, CA 92264
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