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Nnenna Freelon
Nnenna Freelon is a nine-time GRAMMY-nominated jazz vocalist, an arts education advocate, producer, arranger, and Award-winning Podcaster (entitled Greatgrief with Nnenna Freelon) who has achieved great heights in recording and live performance.
Having faced many losses in the past few years, Nnenna has felt the need to find her "voice" once more. through the lens of grief and loss. Her new album "Beneath The Skin" is a reflection of this new territory. It’s an intimate expression of her love for her family, her late husband Phil, and a universal love letter to all who’ve lost someone dear. Her PBS-NC Special as part of the series Shaped By Sound celebrates the release! Her debut as author happens in Fall 2025 with Beneath The Skin of Sorrow (Duke University Press).
Storytelling, she believes, helps strengthen community – and music can speak eloquently to our hearts.
In her new album, PBS-NC Special, podcast, and new book, Nnenna is sharing her voice in new ways that are both personal and universal.
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The San Jose Jazz Fest 2026 was on Fire
by Ronald Davis
A collection of photos from the San Jose Jazz Fest in San Jose from August 7, 2026 to August 9, 2026 featuring Nnenna Freelon, Javon Jackson, Willie Jones III, Charles McPherson, Cyrus Chestnut, Adi Oasis, Irene Diaz, The Soul Rebels, Gretchen Parlato, Harrell “Young Rell" Davenport, Aja Monet, Sylvia Cuenca, Essiet Okon Essiet, Wallace Roney Jr, Roger Glenn, Ray Obiedo, Bria Skonberg, and Jubu Smith. ...
Continue ReadingJohn Pizzarelli, Shuteen Erdenebaatar & Nils Kugelmann, Nicola Miller, Ayn Inserto, Jazz Sinfonico Mexicano, Stella Cole & More
by Mary Foster Conklin
This broadcast includes new music from Stella Cole, John Pizzarelli, Shuteen Erdenebaatar & Nils Kugelmann, Nicola Miller, Ayn Inserto, Jazz Sinfonico Mexicano, plus birthday shoutouts to Shamie Royston, Claudia Acuna, Tara Davidson, Nnenna Freelon, Kate Bush and Honorable Men Kevin Mahogany and Hank Jones, among others. Happy listening and please support the artists you hear--see them live, buy their music so they can continue to comfort, distract, provoke and remind the world that A Woman's Place is in the Groove. ...
Continue ReadingKate McGarry, Lenora Zenzalai Helm, Lois Deloatch, Nnenna Freelon: The Sistering
by Jacob Sylvester
The collaborative album created by jazz vocalists Kate McGarry, Lenora Zenzalai Helm, Lois Deloatch, and Nnenna Freelon, titled The Sistering, is a powerful musical journey that explores the bonds of friendship and heritage. Released in early 2026, the project uses the metaphor of “sistering"--a building technique where two boards are joined to make a structure stronger--to show how these four women support one another. The album begins with the “River Song," which introduces the idea of life as a flowing ...
Continue ReadingNnenna Freelon, Roy Ayers, Roberta Flack, Saje and More
by Jua Howard
Greetings Music Family! It's finally time for another episode of the “First Instrument Jazz Show"! I've got new music from Nnenna Freelon, Kate McGarry, {m: Nicole Zuraitis and Kristin Korb; and more timeless music from Roberta Flack, Roy Ayers, Säje, Ben Williams and many more. Come get lost in the music with me!Playlist Intro 00:00 Roberta Flack “Tenderly" from Roberta (Atlantic) 3:34 Gretchen Parlato “No Plan" from Flor (Edition) 7:24 Mark Granfield “Just One of Those Things" from ...
Continue ReadingThe Empress, John Ellis, Nnenna Freelon, Chicago Jazz Orchestra and more
by Benjamin Boddie
Today's Music--Right Now! Fantastic music by The Empress, Jon Bentley, John Ellis, Nnenna Freelon, Kevin Fort, Chicago Jazz Orchestra, Dave Robbins, Rodney Whitaker, Laura Dreyer, Carloss Mena, Ben Patterson, David Caffey, Jackson Potter, Fred Hersch, Jeremy Pelt, Nels Cline, Bob James & Dave Koz, Caili O'Doherty, Lisa Hilton, Billy Hart, Yuval Cohen, Dave Hanson, Artemis, Nanami Haruta and more. Playlist The Empress “Bolivia" from Square One (Cellar Music Group) 00:00 Jon Bentley “Trane's Terrain" from Go Ahead! (Cellar ...
Continue ReadingBetcha By Golly Wow - New Releases From Nnenna Freelon, Aubrey Logan, Rosa Passos and More
by Mary Foster Conklin
This broadcast presents a boatload of new releases from vocalists Nnenna Freelon, Aubrey Logan, Dara Tucker, Rosa Passos and Jonathan Karrant, organist Kendall Carter, and the Alchemy Song Project with birthday shoutouts to pianists Brittany Anjou, Yoko Miwa, guitarist Sheryl Bailey, flutist Jan Leder, and vocalist Carmen Souza, among others. Thanks for listening and please support the artists you hear by purchasing their music.Playlist Brittany Anjou “Hard Boiled Soup" from Enamigo Reciprokataj (Origin) 00:00 The Lascivious Biddies “Betty" ...
Continue ReadingNnenna Freelan With The Charleston Jazz Orchestra at Charleston Music Hall
by Rob Rosenblum
Nnenna Freelon with the Charleston Jazz Orchestra Charleston Music Hall Charleston, SC January 18, 2018 If you were expecting fireworks and bombastic performances of favorite pop tunes, jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon might have disappointed you in her Charleston debut last Friday night at the Charleston Music Hall. But if your ears were open to a seasoned professional who had honed her craft to near perfection, while leaving herself open to subtle changes in inflection ...
Continue ReadingAll About Jazz Top 10 Tracks: May 2021
Source:
All About Jazz
All About Jazz features a free song every day spanning all genres of jazz, and of the 31 tracks featured in May, these ten represent our personal favorites. We also included the top ten reader favorites as indicated by total listens. Musicians and record labels can submit full length MP3s for consideration here. Enjoy! Top Tracks I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me Fifth Element From: Fifth Element 4:07 Time Traveler
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Inaugural Jazz Philadelphia Summit Announced
Source:
All About Jazz
During the inaugural Jazz Philadelphia Summit on Nov. 2 and 3, 2018, regional and national jazz luminaries will gather in Center City Philadelphia to honor the city’s deep jazz roots and discuss its future. Musicians, jazz enthusiasts, advocates, funders, and the arts and culture community are gathering at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts and the University of the Arts for both high-level discussions and hands-on workshops about the art and business of jazz. Sessions will be held from ...
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Feinstein's At Loews Regency Presents The Debut Of Six-Time Grammy Nominated Jazz Vocalist Nnenna Freelon
Source:
Miller Wright & Associates
FEINSTEIN'S AT LOEWS REGENCY, the nightclub proclaimed “Best of New York" by New York Magazine and “an invaluable New York institution" by The New York Post will continue its Spring 2011 season with the debut of six time Grammy Award nominee NNENNA FREELON from May 10 through 14. The show “Lena: A Lovesome Thing" honors Lena Horne's legendary music career, with a specific focus on her friendship and professional association with the composer Billy Strayhorn. It will feature his compositions ...
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Jazz Legend Makes Annenberg Center Debut
Source:
AAJ Staff
Herbie Hancock calls her “a wonderful song stylist." Melba Moore says that “she's a reincarnation of Ella Fitzgerald." And Aretha Franklin proclaims “if you're looking for good entertainment and very hip music, be sure to check out Nnenna Freelon." And Philadelphia audiences will be able to do just that as the six-time Grammy Award nominee makes her Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts debut on April 1 at 8 p.m. Freelon will be singing songs from her newest CD, “Home ...
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Jazz Singer and Six-Time Grammy Nominee Nnenna Freelon Makes Her Annenberg Center Debut
Source:
AAJ Staff
“Freelon makes each song such a personal statement that they all seem fresh and new..." USA Today (Philadelphia)—Herbie Hancock calls her “a wonderful song stylist," Melba Moore says that “she's a reincarnation of Ella Fitzgerald," and Aretha Franklin proclaims “if you're looking for good entertainment and very hip music, be sure to check out Nnenna Freelon." The six-time Grammy® Award nominee makes her Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts debut singing jazz standards and highlights from her most recent album ...
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The Beast & Nnenna Freelon: "Freedom Suite" - Free Album Download
Source:
Giant Step
Jazz vocalist and multi Grammy nominee Nnenna Freelon joins hip-hop quartet The Beast release Freedom Suite: a 10-track collection of creative reflections on jazz and hip-hop. Freedom Suite is available for FREE download, digitally released on Okayplayer's jazz inspired channel, The Revivalist. With guest appearances from 9th Wonder, Branford Marsalis, Phonte (of The Foreign Exchange/Little Brother), YahZarah, Geechi Suede (of Camp Lo) and several others, Freedom Suite follows in the tradition of other collaborative jazz and hip-hop projects like the ...
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Bending Melodies into Unorthodox Shapes
Source:
Michael Ricci
Heading into her encore at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola on Tuesday night, Nnenna Freelon gave her audience the illusion of a choice. “Are you guys feeling frisky or sentimental?" she asked. Frisky, came the reply. Well, all right, then: the band struck up a light-funk groove, and Ms. Freelon plunged into one last song, parsing lyrics with syncopation. “Dreeeaam," she sang, “beside me. In-the-mid-night-glow. The lamp. Is low." She was working with “The Lamp Is Low," a songbook standard of murmuring ...
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Nnenna Freelon Releases New CD - "Homefree"
Source:
On Target Media Group
The new CD from multi-Grammy nominated vocalist Nnenna Freelon, Homefree, hits stores today (CD & digital) via Concord Jazz Records. The new album is Freelon's 7th Concord release and is a soulful, swinging album that Freelon calls her “home brew." The collection is comprised largely of contemporary interpretations of classic American Songbook tunes as well as a new original (the witty, playful and poignant “Cell Phone Blues" composed by the singer) and spirited arrangements of two ...
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Nnenna Freelon to Release New Record
Source:
On Target Media Group
Next week, Concord Jazz will release Homefree, the highly anticipated new album from esteemed jazz vocalist and multi-Grammy nominee, Nnenna Freelon. Homefree is a collection of contemporary interpretations of classic American Songbook tunes as well as a new poignant original, “Cell Phone Blues" composed by Nnenna, and spirited arrangements of two anthems (the gospel treasure “Lift Every Voice and Sing" and the national hymn “America the Beautiful") that close the album. Homefree, ...
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LA Phil Presents Ask Your Mama - Inspired by Ask Your Mama: 12 Moods for Jazz
Source:
Michael Ricci
LA Phil Presents Ask Your Mama – Sunday, August 30, 7:30pm at the Hollywood Bowl Hollywood Bowl Orchestra George Manahan, conductor Jessye Norman, soprano Nnenna Freelon, vocalist de'Adre Aziza, vocalist The Roots Laura Karpman, composer Hot jazz, German song, Latin cha-cha and Afro-Cuban drumming come together in this collaboration between Emmy Award-winning composer Laura Karpman and world-renowned soprano ...
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"Freelon had no problem charming the audience with a bright, rhythmically infectious performance." —Mike Joyce, The Washington Post
"Freelon makes each song such a personal statement that they all seem fresh and new..." —Steve Jones, USA Today
"Nnenna Freelon possesses that rarest of qualities... she makes (standards) sound freshly minted, refreshingly new... her phrasing is original, surprising... she mines the (melodies) for new and hidden meaning... and imaginative spirit that reaches out and bubbles over..." —Robert L. Daniels, Variety
Nina Simone
piano and vocals
Billy Eckstine
vocals
Kaylene Peoples
vocalsPhotos
Music
Dark and Lovely
From: Beneath the SkinBy Nnenna Freelon
Time Traveler
From: Time TravelerBy Nnenna Freelon
Baby, It's Cold Outside
From: ChristmasBy Nnenna Freelon
Videos
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Nnenna Freelon
Instrument: Vocals
Born: July 28, 1954
Publicist: Tom Estey Publicity & Promotion
