Kurt Rosenwinkel is a highly acclaimed and influential jazz guitarist, composer, and bandleader. Hailed as one of the most important jazz musicians of his generation, Rosenwinkel has spent decades pushing the boundaries of the jazz genre and developing a signature sound that has captivated audiences worldwide. With a career spanning over 30 years, Kurt Rosenwinkel has released a series of groundbreaking albums, collaborated with jazz legends, and continues to inspire the next generation of jazz musicians. His innovative approach to composition and improvisation has made him a household name among jazz enthusiasts.
The Wall Street Journal has described it as a “genre and industry-defying mission.” NPR declared it a “multilayered experience.” The New York Times commended the movement as carving out a new path in country music. All tell the story of Miko Marks’ resurgence as she deftly blends country, blues, southern rock, and even gospel to create a sound and experience that has literally brought every audience to its feet. This new sound, along with her warm and soulful spirit, catapulted her into a community of change, with her doing more than breaking ground - she’s shattering it. It’s a serendipitous realization that Marks was meant to be here, at this time, in this moment, for good. After releasing her critically-acclaimed album, Our Country (via Redtone Records) in March 2021, Marks dove head first into an industry that previously never fully embraced her. She closed out 2021 with her EP release, Race Records, which shined a light on the arbitrary divisions forced upon artists and audiences in the early days of music marketing in the 1940s. In January of this year, Marks was named to CMT’s Next Women of Country Class of 2022 and by April, she stood alongside five other artists and managers chosen to participate in the inaugural Equal Access Development Program, a program designed by mtheory and CMT to foster and support marginalized communities underrepresented in the genre of country music. Now more than ever, the change needed is beginning to come to fruition; a change Marks feared she wouldn’t bear witness to in her existence: “I get emotional around it, because I didn’t think I would see any of this in my lifetime,” Marks says. Nearly one year after the release of Our Country, Marks released the first single, “Feel Like Going Home” (March 25, 2022), from her forthcoming project of the same name, due this fall. The lyrics sing, “Rest for the wanderer who never more shall roam.” For Marks, the time to reclaim her roots that were planted long ago is now, a powerful reconnection that can be felt in every note. No longer a wanderer, Marks has returned to her true self after years of trying to figure out her place in the world and in her first true love: music. Feel Like Going Home is an amalgamation of where Marks has been and where she is going. What she has learned and what she wants to teach. It’s an innermost look at the ebb and flow of her past, present, and future. It’s the stories she wants to tell but hasn’t been able to speak into existence ever before. The messages are profound: healing, restoration, and distinctly individual. Feel Like Going Home will be released on October 14, 2022.
GRAMMY-nominated trumpeter, composer, producer, and bandleader Theo Croker continues to redefine the possibilities of modern jazz with his new album, DREAM MANIFEST (Dom Recs / Fat Beats, June 13). Hailed by the LA Times as “a path to jazz greatness,” Croker’s latest work is an immersive journey where jazz, experimental hip-hop, and cosmic soul collide — the result of an artist unbound by genre and led only by creative vision. With singles like the high-energy “We Still Wanna Dance” (produced by D’LEAU), the soul-laced “High Vibrations” (featuring Malaya), and the hypnotic “Crystal Waterfalls,” Croker shapes a sonic world that is both timeless and of the moment (Wall Street Journal). His unmistakable air of chill, as NPR notes, comes from “a clear musical approach and determination” — qualities that have made him a standout collaborator for artists like Ari Lennox, Common, J. Cole, Jill Scott, and Wyclef Jean, and a magnetic performer on stages from NPR’s Tiny Desk to The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Croker approaches live performance with the vision of a producer and the spontaneity of a jazz artist. As DownBeat writes, he “layers music and lyrics with the deft touch of a hip-hop producer and the spontaneity of a jazz trumpeter.” From underground clubs to global festival stages, his sets unfold like cinematic suites — immersive, dynamic, and emotionally tuned to the room. His trumpet acts as both a melodic voice and a textural force, seamlessly woven into a production landscape rich with samples, synths, and sound design — all performed live with his acoustic ensemble. As VICE notes, Croker is known for pushing the boundaries of jazz, neo-soul, and hip-hop, crafting a sound that defies traditional genre classifications. That expansive approach was on full display in February 2025, when he premiered Dream Manifest live at London’s iconic Barbican Theatre in collaboration with designer Nicholas Daley. The Evening Standard called it “jazz, just not as we know it,” and Jazzwise described it as “a triumph,” praising Croker’s emotional depth, total stage control, and hinting at “a lot more to come from this assured bandleader.”
Grammy Winner, Doris Duke Artist, and Guggenheim and MacArthur Fellow Miguel Zenón represents a select group of musicians who have masterfully balanced and blended the often-contradictory poles of innovation and tradition. Widely considered one of the most groundbreaking and influential saxophonists and composers of his generation, he has also developed a unique voice as a conceptualist, concentrating his efforts on perfecting a fine mix between jazz and his many musical influences. Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Zenón has released eighteen recordings as a leader, including his latest, the Grammy-nominated Vanguardia Subterránea: Live at The Village Vanguard (2025) and the Grammy-winning album El Arte Del Bolero Vol. 2 (2023). He has worked with luminaries such as The SFJAZZ Collective, Charlie Haden, Fred Hersch, Kenny Werner, David Sánchez, Danilo Perez, The Village Vanguard Orchestra, Kurt Elling, Joey Calderazzo, Steve Coleman, Ray Barreto, Andy Montañez, Jerry Gonzalez & The Fort Apache Band, The Mingus Big Band, and Bobby Hutcherson. In April 2008, he received a fellowship from the prestigious John Simon Guggenheim Foundation. Later that year, he was one of 25 distinguished individuals chosen to receive the coveted MacArthur Fellowship, also known as the “Genius Grant.” In 2011, he founded Caravana Cultural, a program that presents free-of-charge Jazz concerts in rural areas of Puerto Rico. In 2022, he received an Honorary Doctorate from La Universidad del Sagrado Corazón in San Juan, Puerto Rico, the highest honor bestowed by the institution. In 2024, he received a Doris Duke Artist Award from the Doris Duke Foundation. Zenón has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, and The Chicago Tribune. In addition, he topped both the Jazz Artist of the Year and Alto Saxophonist of the Year categories in the 2014 JazzTimes Critics Poll and was selected as Alto Saxophonist of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association in 2015, 2018, 2019, and 2020 (when he was also recognized as Arranger of the Year). In 2023, he was recognized by the same organization as the Composer of the Year. As a composer he has been commissioned by SFJAZZ, NYO Jazz, The New York State Council on the Arts, Chamber Music America, Logan Center for The Arts, The Hyde Park Jazz Festival, The John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, MIT, Spektral Quartet, Miller Theater, The Hewlett Foundation, Peak Performances, PRISM Quartet, Kinetic Ensemble and many of his peers. Zenón has given hundreds of lectures and master classes at institutions all over the world and is an Associate Professor in the Music & Theater Arts Department at MIT.
To watch Stella Cole perform is to be transported back in time. Her sense of joy and wonder is infectious – one look at her massive social media following makes this clear. Take a quick scroll through the comments of any of her many viral videos and you’ll see not only her irresistible charm, but an ability to expose fans of all ages to the wonders of the Great American Songbook, especially when these timeless stories are told honestly by an artist with an uncanny ability to transcend generations. On her highly anticipated debut recording, Stella is presented performing interpreting a collection of classics in a variety of settings, including many featuring an orchestra arranged by multiple Grammy-winner Alan Broadbent. Featuring songs made famous by everyone from Barbra Streisand (“When the Sun Comes Out”) and Judy Garland (“The Boy Next Door” and a classic re-interpretation of “Over the Rainbow”) to Billie Eilish (“My Future”) and Audrey Hepburn (“Moon River” of course!), it is sure to be one of the most impressive vocal recordings of 2024. Upon first hearing Stella Cole, one is immediately struck by her rich tone and extraordinary vocal control. However, what is particularly rare is her ability to interpret songs that were initially intended for actors in character in a direct, personally vulnerable way that connects to something within herself, placing her in the lineage of the greatest interpreters of the repertoire. Perhaps most exciting, to her many young fans, who have never heard these songs before, these are Stella Cole songs, which clearly makes her one of the most exciting artists of her generation.
To watch Stella Cole perform is to be transported back in time. Her sense of joy and wonder is infectious – one look at her massive social media following makes this clear. Take a quick scroll through the comments of any of her many viral videos, and you’ll see not only her irresistible charm but an ability to expose fans of all ages to the wonders of the Great American Songbook, especially when these timeless stories are told honestly by an artist with an uncanny ability to transcend generations. On her highly anticipated debut recording, Stella is presented performing interpreting a collection of classics in a variety of settings, including many featuring an orchestra arranged by multiple Grammy-winner Alan Broadbent. Featuring songs made famous by everyone from Barbra Streisand (“When the Sun Comes Out”) and Judy Garland (“The Boy Next Door” and a classic re-interpretation of “Over the Rainbow”) to Billie Eilish (“My Future”) and Audrey Hepburn (“Moon River” of course!), it is sure to be one of the most impressive vocal recordings of 2024. Upon first hearing Stella Cole, one is immediately struck by her rich tone and extraordinary vocal control. However, what is particularly rare is her ability to interpret songs that were initially intended for actors in character in a direct, personally vulnerable way that connects to something within herself, placing her in the lineage of the greatest interpreters of the repertoire. Perhaps most exciting, to her many young fans, who have never heard these songs before, these are Stella Cole songs, which clearly makes her one of the most exciting artists of her generation.
With his iconic, signature jump and crowd-captivating energy throughout his world-renowned live performances, Billboard chart-topping, American saxophonist, songwriter, producer, and performer, Eric Darius, is breaking the mold of modern Jazz. His latest and boldest venture to date, Unleashed, is a testament to his ever-evolving artistic vision, fearlessly pushing all musical boundaries while innovatively fusing Jazz with elements of R&B, Hip-Hop, Funk, Pop, and much more. Born into a musical household with Caribbean influences, Eric's musical journey from Tampa, Florida, started early at the age of 11, performing at the prestigious Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland with Sonny LaRosa & America's Youngest Jazz Band. Performing over a hundred shows a year in his early teens, honing his craft, he went on to record his first album independently at age 16, then made his major label debut on the global stage in 2004 with the release of Night on the Town. Taking the world by storm and causing a frenzy never seen before in Contemporary Jazz, he was prophetically hailed as Debut Artist of the Year by Smooth Jazz News Magazine later that year. Now, with eight highly acclaimed albums to his name, Eric continues to be a singular force on the music scene while forging new paths and bridging generational gaps. To date, he has racked up five No. 1 Hit Singles and 17 Top 10 Radio Hits on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Chart. He was SESAC’s Top 10 Jazz Artist of the Year in 2015, Citril Starz Awards’ Best Jazz, Saxophonist, Composer, Producer & Musician of the Year in 2017, and most recently was selected the Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival Artist of the Year for 2022. From sharing the stage with GRAMMY® Award-winning artists such as Prince, Mary J. Blige, Jamie Foxx, David Foster & George Benson to name a few, making TV appearances on FOX’s The X Factor and TNT’s Mob City, running his own SagiDarius Music label, to serving as annual host of the San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival, Mexico Jazz Experience, & Paris Smooth Jazz Festival, Eric's impact on the music industry is undeniable. With his countless accolades and commitment to making a difference through music education in the schools, Eric Darius stands as a beacon of unparalleled talent and dedication in today's world of entertainment.
With his iconic, signature jump and crowd-captivating energy throughout his world-renowned live performances, Billboard chart-topping, American saxophonist, songwriter, producer, and performer, Eric Darius, is breaking the mold of modern Jazz. His latest and boldest venture to date, Unleashed, is a testament to his ever-evolving artistic vision, fearlessly pushing all musical boundaries while innovatively fusing Jazz with elements of R&B, Hip-Hop, Funk, Pop, and much more. Born into a musical household with Caribbean influences, Eric's musical journey from Tampa, Florida, started early at the age of 11, performing at the prestigious Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland with Sonny LaRosa & America's Youngest Jazz Band. Performing over a hundred shows a year in his early teens, honing his craft, he went on to record his first album independently at age 16, then made his major label debut on the global stage in 2004 with the release of Night on the Town. Taking the world by storm and causing a frenzy never seen before in Contemporary Jazz, he was prophetically hailed as Debut Artist of the Year by Smooth Jazz News Magazine later that year. Now, with eight highly acclaimed albums to his name, Eric continues to be a singular force on the music scene while forging new paths and bridging generational gaps. To date, he has racked up five No. 1 Hit Singles and 17 Top 10 Radio Hits on Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Chart. He was SESAC’s Top 10 Jazz Artist of the Year in 2015, Citril Starz Awards’ Best Jazz, Saxophonist, Composer, Producer & Musician of the Year in 2017, and most recently was selected the Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival Artist of the Year for 2022. From sharing the stage with GRAMMY® Award-winning artists such as Prince, Mary J. Blige, Jamie Foxx, David Foster & George Benson to name a few, making TV appearances on FOX’s The X Factor and TNT’s Mob City, running his own SagiDarius Music label, to serving as annual host of the San Diego Smooth Jazz Festival, Mexico Jazz Experience, & Paris Smooth Jazz Festival, Eric's impact on the music industry is undeniable. With his countless accolades and commitment to making a difference through music education in the schools, Eric Darius stands as a beacon of unparalleled talent and dedication in today's world of entertainment.