Interview: Acclaimed Singer April May Webb Leads SOUNDS OF A&R at Dizzy's Club
Webb, who recently won the 13th Annual Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, plays NYC on 2/21 at 7 & 9 pm
Multi-hyphenate performer April May Webb will be performing at Dizzy’s Club (Jazz at Lincoln Center) on February 21, 2025. (Tickets are available at JALC’s website.)
This special performance is presented in partnership with NJPAC. Together with trumpeter Randall Haywood, Webb leads Sounds of A&R, a boundary-pushing ensemble blending jazz with gospel, R&B, country, and global influences from their international tours.
Last November, Webb won the 13th Annual Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition as part of NJPAC’s TD James Moody Jazz Festival. A musician, composer, educator, and co-founder of the jazz ensemble Sounds of A&R, she is a 2023 Chamber Music America Grant recipient and 2023 Jazz Road Artist, and has toured with jazz legends such as Thelonious Sphere Monk III and was selected by NEA Jazz Master Dee Dee Bridgewater as a Woodshed Network recipient. She also took center stage in internationally acclaimed artist Tschabalala Self’s New York play Sounding Board. April May made history as the first black woman to graduate from the William Paterson University Jazz Education program.
We spoke with Webb about winning the acclaimed Annual Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, her upcoming concert next month at Dizzy’s Club, and more.
How does it feel to have recently won the 13th annual Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition?
It’s been quite a whirlwind! This journey has been a decade in the making. I first started applying for the competition in 2014. In 2021, I became a finalist and placed second. I kept pushing, and fast forward to 2024—I won. It’s an incredibly emotional experience to achieve something I’ve worked toward for so long. I feel a deep sense of accomplishment and immense gratitude.
What are you most looking forward to about your upcoming show at Dizzy's in New York?
I’m excited to bring my band, Sounds of A&R (short for Sounds of April and Randall, which spells the acronym S.O.A.R.), to the stage. I founded the band in 2014 with world-renowned trumpeter Randall Haywood, and since then, we’ve toured around the world. This special group also includes my two older brothers: Dr. Nathan Webb on drums and Jacob Webb on bass. Joining us on piano will be the incredible Yayoi Ikawa.
Our Dizzy’s performance, which is February 21st, will be when we release our new single, “Cottonwood Tree.” “Cottonwood Tree” was the original composition with which I closed my Sarah Vaughan Competition set.
You've been doing jazz for a long time. How do you feel about the journey you've taken so far?
Everything happens as it’s meant to, in its own time. I’m deeply grateful for every setback and for the journey it has taken to get to this point. Along the way, I’ve released two solo albums and three albums with my band, Sounds of A&R. Through it all, we’ve taken the time to cultivate a sound that is both true and uniquely ours.
What's been inspiring you lately?
Life, with all its ups and downs, inspires me every day—there’s always something to write about, something to live for.
Is there anything else coming up for you next after this show at Dizzy's?
Excited to announce that “Cottonwood Tree” will be released on February 21st! Stay tuned!
Anything else you'd like to add?
You can keep up with everything I’m doing at SoundsofAandR.com
April May Webb will play at Dizzy’s Club on Friday February 21 at 7 and 9 pm. Tickets are available on Jazz at Lincoln Center’s website.
Learn more about the ensemble and April May Webb at SoundsofAandR.com
Header photo credit: Shakiru Bola Okoya
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