Brianna Thomas - You Must Believe In Love (2014)

Wall Street Journal stated Brianna Thomas "may be the best young straight ahead jazz singer of her generation". Born and raised in Peoria, Illinois, was selected to participate in the prestigious Betty Carter Jazz Ahead Program, an elite artist in residence program for musicians and composers at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Ms. Thomas moved to NYC in 2007 to attend The New School University and has since established herself as a talented vocalist on the music scene. Since graduating college in 2011, Ms. Thomas has performed with many jazz greats including: Clark Terry, Wycliffe Gordon, Wynton Marsalis, Russell Malone, The Legendary Count Basie Orchestra, Michael Feinstein and longtime hero Dianne Reeves. Ms.Thomas also continues to perform worldwide for venues and was a 2014 musical ambassador touring South East Asia for the "American Music Abroad" program, as a guest vocalist with The Amigos Band - singing folk, bluegrass, gospel and jazz. She teaches with JALC's Jazz For Young People Program to educate students in New York City School's about the importance of Jazz in American History and Today.

The ensemble is Brianna Thomas, vocal, Allyn Johnson, piano, Yasushi Nakamura, bass, Ulysses Owens, Jr., drums, with special guests Russell Malone, guitar, Marcus Printup, trumpet, Wycliffe Gordon, trombone, Nick Grinder, trombone, Tivon Penticott, tenor sax, and Riza Printup, harp. ~Grady Harp