Plenty of young musicians show promise, but very few enjoy the sort of meteoric rise that pianist, keyboardist and composer James Francies is currently experiencing. At only 24, he’s played with jazz headliners like Pat Metheny, Chris Potter, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Stefon Harris, Eric Harland, and Terrace Martin, and racked up equally impressive credits in hip-hop and R&B: from shows with Ms. Lauryn Hill, José James, Common, and NAS, to studio time for Chance the Rapper’s Grammy-winning hit “No Problem”, Mark Ronson , Childish Gambino, YEBBA, Drake, and Kodak Black, to appearances with The Roots on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon alongside his mentor and friend Questlove. Now comes Flight, the extraordinary debut album that welcomes Francies into the storied Blue Note Records family and finds him melding his jazz mastery and pop experience on 11 searching, engaging tracks. But as bold and new as this moment might seem for Francies, it’s also a homecoming, in more ways than one. Francies, like his Blue Note predecessors Robert Glasper, Jason Moran, Chris Dave and Kendrick Scott, is a proud Houstonite and a graduate of that city’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA), one of the nation’s most reliable incubators for era-defining jazz talent. “Just to follow in their footsteps, let alone in the footsteps of Herbie Hancock, Bud Powell and all of these other artists who recorded for the label, it’s an honor,” Francies says. “And there’s a responsibility that comes with it too.” Called “a pianist with liquid dynamism in his touch” by the New York Times, Francies started on piano around age 4, with classical training and an education in the music of the church. Blessed with perfect pitch and synesthesia (or the ability to hear in colors), he attended his first jazz concert, by Houston-born piano legend Joe Sample, at age 6, and began studying jazz in junior high. Many deep influences followed, some of them surprising. Along with pianists like Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Mulgrew Miller, Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum and Taylor Eigsti, a longtime friend, Francies points to guitarists Allan Holdsworth and Mike Moreno and such trumpet masters as Nicholas Payton, Freddie Hubbard, Clifford Brown and Lee Morgan. A highly decorated tenure at HSPVA—including spots in the Monterey Jazz Festival’s Next Generation Jazz Orchestra, the Thelonious Monk Institute All-Star Jazz Sextet and the GRAMMY Jazz Session Combo—earned Francies a full scholarship to Manhattan’s New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. While he was earning his degree, Francies was also rapidly ascending the jazz ranks and building a professional career. Early bandstand time with Jeff “Tain” Watts helped him cut his teeth and raise his profile, as did his first international tour, with Chris Dave and the Drumhedz. Chris Potter tapped him for his trio along with drummer Eric Harland, and Pat Metheny assembled a trio with Francies and drummer Nate Smith. Francies’ own group, Kinetic, has garnered buzz at events like Newport Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, NYC Winterfest, and BRIC JazzFest. He met Questlove and Roots keyboardist James Poyser a few years ago, and since then has become a go-to resource for Quest and company—subbing for Poyser on Roots concerts and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon; participating in the Roots-produced Hamilton cast recording, in addition to other film and TV score work organized by Quest; and, currently, collaborating with The Roots emcee Black Thought on a Broadway show. Francies says that his experiences outside of jazz have helped him with concepts like “assembling sounds, consistency, delivery and the ability to support,” and it certainly isn’t difficult to hear these lessons throughout Flight. An embodiment of the Blue Note ethos at this thriving moment in the label’s history, it’s a dynamic, ultramodern jazz record, infused with pop, hip-hop and R&B, that remains entertaining from start to finish.  James Francies is a Blue Note Recording Artist, endorsed by Yamaha Pianos, Korg Keyboards, and is an IWC Brand Ambassador.

Award-winning trumpeter, vocalist, songwriter, and producer Keyon Harrold is touring in support of the GRAMMY nominated recording 'Foreverland'  on the Concord label. This is an outstanding crossover album with features a bevy of collaborators. British R&B vocalist Laura Mvula sings on the title track 'Foreverland'. Emerging young singer Malaya is featured on 'Don't Lie'. Common and Robert Glasper contribute to the song 'Find Your Peace', and GRAMMY winning musician, producer, and singer-songwriter PJ Morton lends a wistful vocal to the nostalgic single 'Beautiful Day'.  The single 'Beautiful Day'  has been receiving world wide radio play. Keyon Harrold first came into the International spotlight for his work as the trumpet voice behind the GRAMMY winning Don Cheadle film 'Miles Ahead', and his critically acclaimed album, 'The Mugician', (Sony Legacy / Mass Appeal). As a bandleader, he has created a compelling new statement with a riveting mix of jazz, Afrobeat, soul, spoken word, hip-hop, blues, rock, and even American folk. As a soloist, his distinctly warm trumpet sound simmers in the middle register; creating drama without aggrandizing, and mesmerizing live audiences with an emotionally charged concert presentation. Wynton Marsalis has stated "Keyon Harrold is the future of the trumpet".   In addition to being one of the leading voices in Jazz Music, Keyon Harrold has collaborated with many of the top hip hop and pop artists including: Snoop Dogg, Jay Z, Beyonce, Rihanna, Eminem, Maxwell, and Anthony Hamilton, and rock legends Keith Richards and Jeff Beck. These experiences broadened his musical horizons beyond jazz to include funk, Afrobeat, R&B, rock and roll, and hip hop.   He is currently touring an ensemble that is making one of the strongest artistic statements of any musical group today, rooted in jazz music, the band freestyles and solos with authority and weaves the spectrum of African American music into a sonic expression that can best be described as Bop Pop Hip-Hop Jazz!!!  Audience members often reference his concerts as among the best they have ever attended.