Laufey Isn’t The Only Jazzy Gen Z Musician — Check Out These Other Acts
We might be caught up in Laufey fever this week, but here are other young musicians who share her cool, loungey vibe.
Laufey is making her return to Singapore after a wildly-successful (and fast-selling) debut last year.
The 25-year-old singer-songwriter has made waves for several reasons – whether if it’s the bewitching quality of her songs or the way she engages crowds with tenderness – but, for all of TikTok’s virality powers bestowing success onto the least suspecting, Laufey’s emergence is surprising all the more because she’s classically-trained and indebted to jazz.
We’ve seen it before – while jazz music will always have its audiences (and lure the curious over time), it’s rare to see a headlining act like Laufey enchant the masses like she does.
The best part is that she’s not the only one reconfiguring jazz music for a younger crowd these days. Here are some artists you should check out if Laufey’s lit a newfound thirst for jazz.
Domi and JD Beck
If you missed out on the duo’s first Singapore concert earlier this year, don’t fret. No, they’re not confirmed for another show here… yet.
It’s just that the two jazz musicians have only just begun, and as they continue to perform and write music in their early-20s, it’s clear that there’s so much more to look forward to from them.
Their 2022 debut album NOT TiGHT flourishes with luxurious keys and scattered drums – JD Beck’s drum fills, which sound more akin to breakbeats, blends so well with Domi’s freewheeling mastery of the keyboards that you would think, on paper, this would be music solely for jazzheads. Yet, their compositions are deliriously light and groovy, with clear ties to hip-hop, funk and dance music.
The laundry list of special guests on the album also reads like an endorsement of their prodigious talents: Anderson .Paak, Thundercat, Snoop Dogg, Busta Rhymes, and the one and only Herbie Hancock.
Samara Joy
The music of Samara Joy is one that easily puts a smile on one’s face. Evoking the romanticism of vocal jazz legends Ella Fitzgerald and Julie London, along with the smoky nightclub melancholy of Chet Baker, the Grammy-winning artist loves the classics, and it shows in her work.
Her 2022 album Linger Awhile consists primarily of jazz standards interpreted by Joy and her band. Whether it’s Broadway classics Guess Who I Saw Today and Someone to Watch Over Me, or jazz songbook picks like Round Midnight and MIsty, Joy’s voice is immediately enrapturing – especially if you love ballads.
Joy is a torchbearer for the traditions of old, but her recordings beam with clarity and feeling that it’s almost transportative. Plus, you may just find yourself digging into the old records without any trepidation. Tip: You can’t go wrong with Ella & Louis.
Sharada Shashidhar
A vocalist, composer and producer, Sharada Shashidhar’s approach to jazz reaches for the stars. Her music perfectly encapsulates her beginnings as a young, music-obsessed kid – trained in both Indian classical music and jazz.
Yet, as an active recording artist, her music is anything but traditional. With a new-age tilt and a penchant for adventurousness, Shashidhar imbues her music with mystery. Take her new single Soft Echoes, where it changes directions without warning – soft piano and skronking saxophone included – all while guided by the ethereal, layered vocals of Shashidhar.
When Shashidhar writes her music, she lets her “body do what it wanted to do”, and to “play without judgment”. What you’ll find is a universe of billowing clouds and unceasing green fields, a respite from the everyday world that you’ll no doubt keep coming back to.
NOT GEN Z BUT VERY JAZZY, INDEEDY
While these artists are reconfiguring jazz for a new generation, it isn’t limited to Gen Z artists. Here are some other contemporaries who have refined their craft to new heights.
Sam Gendel
A saxophonist whose spaced-out, fuzzy recordings play like lullabies for a restless night. The perfect antidote after feeling sick of lo-fi beats to study to.
Resavoir
The deep melodies of Resavoir, the project of multi-instrumentalist Will Miller, will seep into your consciousness when you least expect it. The musical equivalent of tending to your plants on a sunny afternoon.
Signal Quest
Their approach may be rooted in ambient music, but the cosmic brilliance of Signal Quest lies in their ability to play off each other like an improvisatory jazz trio.