Photo credit is Lauren Desberg
The Legacy of a Lady Lives On: Syndee Winters Channels Lena Horne’s Spirit in New Vocal Jazz Tribute
On June 30, the jazz world honors a legend and welcomes a rising star. Syndee Winters Sings Lena Horne—a 10-track vocal jazz tribute from celebrated performer Syndee Winters—arrives on what would have been Lena Horne’s 108th birthday. The album is released via Wake Your Words/Bassline Live and distributed globally by The Orchard/Sony Music.
Winters, a 2024 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition 1st Runner-Up, merges Broadway polish with deep jazz roots in this carefully curated project with executive producer the beloved Eulis Cathey and associate producer Carl Griffin. Classic selections like “Stormy Weather” and “If You Believe” are reimagined with grace and soul. The album also features “Alive”, an original composition by Andromeda Turre, which explores resilience in the wake of personal storms—a spiritual companion to Horne’s own defiant artistry. The project also features this generation’s renowned Jazz musicians, Michael Eckroth, Freddie Hendrix, Warren Wolf, Alexis Lombre, John Davis, Brad Allen Williams, Jason Ennis, Allan Mednard,Edward Perez, and Ben Williams.
“Lena Horne helped me believe in my own voice,” Winters says. “This project is both personal and historic.”
Known for her roles in Hamilton, Motown, and The Lion King on Broadway, Winters is a seasoned stage performer whose vocal control and interpretive nuance shine in jazz. Her experience with the LA Philharmonic, Boston Pops, and National Symphony, add eclectic heft to her sensibility.
As a Caribbean-American artist, Winters brings cultural dimension to this tribute, embodying the very legacy Horne stood for: elegance, excellence, and evolution.
Live performances are scheduled for June 30 at Birdland, (Jim Caruso’s Cast Party) , July 25 at LACMA’s Jazz Fridays Series (Los Angeles) and August 14 at NEA Jazz Master Big Chief Donald Harrison’s Second Annual Quantum Leap Music Festival at the Borghese Vineyard and Winery in Cutchogue, North Fork, Long Island, NY.
When Syndee Winters Sings Lena Horne, Winters doesn’t merely revisit jazz standards—she breathes new life into them, marking herself as a vital new voice in the lineage of great vocalists.
Available everywhere June 30
Listen to the album, Syndee Winters Sings Lena Horne
More at SyndeeWinters.com
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