This Grammy-winning, Mississippi-born songstress always strives for red-carpet elegance when she graces the stage. Blessed with a curvaceous figure, radiant skin and smile, Wilson channels the glamour of divas such as Sarah Vaughan and Nancy Wilson while topping it off with a modern twist with her signature sun-kissed dreadlocks.
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CAPTIONS BY JOHN MURPH
David Sanchez is a tenor titan with a sinewy body built for the runway. Itโs no surprise that Banana Republic plucked this Puerto Rican saxophonist for its 2009 โCity Storiesโ campaign. Oftentimes, thereโs an athletic swagger to his dress code, sometimes hinting at those 50s Italian suits that Miles Davis wore which accentuated his boxerโs physique. And even when Sanchez dresses casually, thereโs an undeniable machismo to his swag.
Bassist/singer phenom also rocked urban sophistication in the same Banana Republic โCity Storiesโ campaign. Often seen flashing an incandescent smile and a mushroom cloud shaped afro, Spalding channels early-โ70s Minnie Riperton (sometimes even back to the Rotary Connection years), effortlessly, while also making sure her style isnโt too throwback a la neo-soul mimicry.
Forward-thinking alto saxophonist, composer and bandleader Greg Osby always goes for a no-frills, natty look when he hits the stage. Strutting with a vintage Fedora hat and smart eyewear, Osbyโs crisp fashion sense epitomizes the timeless modernity associated with the well-dressed jazz saxophonists.
This pint-sized breakout jazz singer of the year shows that you can grace a nightclub stage without getting all stodgy ballroom gown with it. Never too flashy, thereโs always a spunky coyness to her attire that reminds people that a new younger generation of jazz artists is indeed emerging.
At the risk of playing into a clichรฉ, this pianist plays the way she looksโas if sheโs some superhero from a Japanese anime flick with a multicolored asymmetrical hairdo and 21st-century โon-the-goโ attire. She's always energetic and cutting-edge. Not too many jazz artists can get away with Hiromiโs daring style, but on her it looks ideal if not iconic.
No other jazz singer gives you nerd chic like German-born Theo Bleckmann. Far more envelope-pushing than any hipster with a signature look that surpasses merely trendy, Bleckmann makes โbeing smartโ look sexy, whimsical and adventurous.
If there is anyone whose look epitomizes the jazz musician of the hip-hop generation, it is Texas-born pianist/composer Robert Glasper, who takes fashion cues from various eras and musical genres and contextualizes them into his own signature bo-ho look, which juxtaposes hip-hop swagger with jazzโs cool detachment.
Georgia-born singer and songwriter Lizz Wright strikes the perfect balance between dressing sassy and sophisticated but never slutty. With her statuesque physique and a shy, girl-next-door allure, she gives a new template for how modern jazz divas should dress.
Swiss-born pianist/keyboardist Leo Tardin puts a hipster twist to his fashion sense without it being painfully ironic. Often seen peacocking around in plastic, clear-colored glasses, a skinny tie and monochrome pants and shirts, heโs already nailed down an iconic look to call his own without being too obvious about it.
Had he not been a jazz musician, saxophonist/composer Joshua Redman could have easily landed a job as a model. Itโs no coincidence that he once endorsed Donna Karan in the โ90s as he wore well-tailored suits that reminded everyone how to โdress to impress.โ Debonair to a default, Redman simply knows how to rock a suit.
Bald, baby-faced and apparently brilliantโaccording to the MacArthur Foundation, which granted him a 2008 โgeniusโ awardโthe Puerto Rican alto saxophonist exudes an urbane sophistication with a fashion sense that's street-wise, contemporary and always well put together but never fussy.
Top-ranking jazz singer Dianne Reeves has a look that never goes out of style. Carrying on the regal tradition of Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Carmen McCrae, Reevesโ โeasy on the eyes, knowing-how-to-age-gracefullyโ flair exudes comely confidence.
Youthful ebullience and erudition typify both the music and look of vibraphonist/composer Stefon Harris. He has an โalways tightโ style that works on the bandstand, in a nightclub or in a posh hotel cocktail lounge.
โSouthern comfortโ is the best description for pianist/composer Jason Moran, who opts for well-tailored blazers and top-line shirts versus โoff the rackโ suits. His look often suggests the young jazz lions of the '80s and '90s, but thereโs an elusive X-factor that also puts some distance between him and the rest of the pack.
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