French Caribbean singer, bassist and fashion icon Adi Oasis is taking the music world by storm. Her 2023 debut album Lotus Glow — silky vocals, funky bass and retro-futurist production — has garnered over 30 million streams globally and earned features in Rolling Stone, Elle and Dazed. Lotus Glow is Adi’s most personal and political work to date, reflecting her journey from growing up in the Paris projects to life as a Black female immigrant in America. Born in Martinique, Oasis brings a distinctly global perspective to funk, soul and R&B, and her bass playing carries on a proud tradition of women who have made the instrument their own. Since going solo in 2018, she has earned widespread critical acclaim and a thriving fanbase built in large part on her electrifying live shows. She has toured with Lenny Kravitz, Masego, Anderson .Paak, Thundercat and Yasiin Bey and performed at Newport Jazz Fest, Montreux Jazz Festival, Afropunk, Central Park Summerstage, Cross the Tracks and NYC Winter Jazzfest, among many others. Along the way she has collaborated with Leven Kali, KIRBY, Jamila Woods, Danielle Ponder, Gilles Peterson and more. Adi Oasis is an artist fully and unapologetically herself, and the world is taking notice.

Juno Award-winning trumpeter, vocalist and composer Bria Skonberg has been called the “shining hope of hot jazz” by The New York Times and “one of the most versatile and imposing musicians of her generation” by The Wall Street Journal. She has performed at hundreds of festivals worldwide including New Orleans Jazz & Heritage, Monterey, Newport and Montreal. The 10-time DownBeat Rising Star and Jazz at Lincoln Center Swing! Award recipient won the Juno Award for Best Jazz Vocal Album for her debut album Bria, which reached the Top 5 on Billboard jazz charts, and released her seventh studio album What It Means in July 2024. The 2022 recipient of the Legend Award by the Society for the Preservation of the Great American Songbook, Skonberg tours constantly, bringing fiery trumpet playing, smoky vocals and storytelling together. She has studied with renowned trumpeters Warren Vache and Jon Faddis and performed with Wycliffe Gordon, Jon Batiste, Steven Bernstein and U2 at the Apollo Theater. Notable touring includes the 2019 Monterey Jazz Festival on Tour alongside Cecile McLorin Salvant and recent “Sing & Swing” dates with Summer Fest alum Benny Benack III. As both performer and educator, Skonberg has been at the forefront of a revival of classic American music, programming concerts and workshops for Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Louis Armstrong House Museum and Jazz House Kids.

New Orleans brass sensation The Soul Rebels built their sound on an idea — blending the pop music they loved on the radio with their hometown brass tradition, weaving in funk, soul, hip-hop, jazz and rock to create something wholly electrifying and modern. The eight-member collective has built a career around an eclectic, high-energy live show that harnesses the power of horns and drums to bring the party. They frequently appear on major label releases, with credits alongside G-Eazy and Lil Wayne, Nas, Big Freedia and Phony Ppl — and their explosive stage presence has led to live collaborations with the likes of Katy Perry, DMX, Robin Thicke, Macy Gray, Robert Glasper and, most notably, in their new supergroup with the legendary Wu Tang Clan. Their national profile continues to grow through two appearances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, NPR’s Tiny Desk series alongside Wu-Tang Clan’s GZA and a headline slot at the global TED Conference. Riding high on their album Poetry in Motion, The Soul Rebels have taken their sound to Europe, Australia, China, South Korea and Japan, all while staying true to their mission of combining topnotch musicianship with songs that celebrate peace, love and soul.

Distinguished jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut brings over 30 years of masterful improvisation and dynamic compositions to his craft. The Berklee graduate has collaborated with Betty Carter, Wynton Marsalis, Aretha Franklin and Freddie Hubbard while performing at premier festivals including Montreux, North Sea and Montreal. Chestnut’s musical journey began with classical piano training under esteemed instructors Adam Jenkins, Marie White and Linda Lessey. This foundation fueled his passion for jazz, leading him to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Jazz Composition and Arranging at Berklee College of Music. His exceptional talent earned him accolades including the Oscar Peterson Award, Count Basie Award and Quincy Jones Award. After Berklee, Chestnut collaborated with jazz legends including Michael Carvin, Jon Hendricks and Chick Corea. His improvisational style and harmonic sensibility established him as a sought-after performer at premier jazz festivals worldwide. His discography includes acclaimed albums like Soul Brother Cool, There’s a Sweet, Sweet Spirit and Kaleidoscope, blending contemporary influences with traditional jazz. Dedicated to fostering future jazz musicians, Chestnut has taught at the Rimon School of Music, Middlebury College and Howard University while leading workshops at jazz camps nationwide. His contributions have earned prestigious honors including the NAACP ACT-SO Award for Music Composition, the Eubie Blake Scholarship Award and the Benny Golson Jazzmaster Award. A vital force in jazz, he continues shaping its future while honoring rich traditions.

Zapp redefined funk with their innovative use of the talk box, dominating R&B charts with monster hits like “More Bounce to the Ounce,” “Dance Floor” and “Computer Love.” Joining them is Tuxedo, the duo bringing a fresh wave of gangster boogie to the dance floor. Founded by Roger, Larry, Lester and Terry Troutman in 1978, Zapp laid the foundation for West Coast hip-hop, their sound sampled by artists from Dr. Dre and 2Pac to Snoop Dogg and Jay-Z. Known for electrifying live shows and a legacy of gold and platinum records, Zapp continues to carry the Troutman spirit forward, keeping audiences worldwide dancing, loving and celebrating the funk. Tuxedo is Mayer Hawthorne and Jake One, a duo bonded over a shared love of Chic, Parliament and the greater funk zodiac. With eight Grammy Award nominations between them and solo credits spanning Drake, The Weeknd and De La Soul, their combined powers have produced what the Boston Globe called “dance floor catnip” — celebration music built for the party and rooted in the spirit of self-love and self-expression.

Three-time Grammy Award nominee Gretchen Parlato is among the most captivating jazz vocalists of her generation, known for her intimate, Brazilian-inflected sound and her long collaboration with drummer Mark Guiliana and bassist Alan Hampton. Her albums Flor and Lean In earned Grammy Award noms and international acclaim. Featured on over 85 recordings and four as a leader, Parlato earned her first Grammy Award nomination for Live in NYC (2013), which received a 4.5-star review from DownBeat and hit No. 1 on the iTunes best music video list. The Lost and Found (2011) received more than 30 national and international awards including the DownBeat Jazz Critics Poll No. 1 Vocal Album and iTunes Vocal Jazz Album of the Year. In a Dream (2009) was hailed by Billboard as “the most alluring jazz vocal album of 2009.” Her 2021 release Flor honored her deep love of Brazilian music and earned her second Grammy Award nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album. Drummer and composer Mark Guiliana — hailed by The New York Times as “a drummer around whom a cult of admiration has formed” — has collaborated with David Bowie, Brad Mehldau and St. Vincent. Bassist Alan Hampton has toured and recorded with Andrew Bird and Rufus Wainwright. Los Angeles-based pianist and arranger Jacob Mann has toured extensively with the funk/pop/jazz group KNOWER and has also performed with Jacob Collier, Moonchild and Lee Ritenour. Gretchen Parlato Quartet is also appearing on the SJZ Break Room Stage on Friday, August 7 at 8pm.