Jessica Boykin-Settles profile picture

Jessica Boykin-Settles

Jazz Rules!

About Me

Jessica Boykin-Settles began her musical studies as a voice major at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts. By her senior year she was the featured vocalist in the school’s jazz orchestra. Upon graduating, she continued her musical pursuits at New School University in New York City. There she had the opportunity to study under the tutelage of great musicians such as Reggie Workman, Junior Mance, Cecil McBee, Arnie Lawrence, Buster Williams, Sheila Jordan, Janet Lawson, Teri Thornton and Dr. Richard Harper. During her stint in New York, Jessica led her own band and had the opportunity to work in a variety of venues in and around New York City. In 1997, Jessica represented the New School University Jazz and Contemporary Music Program at the International Association for Jazz Education (IAJE) Annual Conference in Chicago, IL and the International Association of Schools of Jazz (IASJ) Annual Meeting in Siena, Italy.In May 2004, Jessica Boykin-Settles received a Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies from Howard University in Washington, DC. While there, Jessica sang with Howard’s premier vocal jazz ensemble Afro Blue, under the direction of Connaitre Miller. Currently she is on the music faculty at Howard University teaching jazz voice and directing the jazz choir “Whole Lotta Jazz Singers.” She also teaches and mentors youth with the Washington Jazz Arts Institute under the direction of Davey Yarborough.

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 1/15/2008
Influences: Singers: Abbey Lincoln - I WORSHIP HER!!..ABBEY - STILL BEAUTIFUL! STILL KILLIN" IT!Betty Carter - THE INIMATABLE!Dianne Reeves - THE INCREDIBLE!!Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, Louis Armstrong, Marlena Shaw,Jeanne Lee - DID NOT GET HER DUE HERE IN THE STATES! ..Kim Burrell - NOT A "JAZZ" SINGER BUT SHE RIPS THROUGH CHANGES LIKE CRAZY! I GOT TO SEE HER LIVE AND EVEN THOUGH I AM NOT A CHRISTIAN, SHE (OR THE SPIRIT...SHE HAS DEFINITELY BEEN BLESSED/TOUCHED BY SOMETHING!) MOVED ME TO TEARS! .. Composers: Wayne Shorter, Lucky Thompson, Herbie Hancock, Horace Silver, Abbey Lincoln, John Coltrane, Erroll Garner, Stevie WonderInstrumentalists: Erroll Garner - MY FAVORITE PIANIST IN THE WHOLE WORLD!Dexter Gordon - IF YOU WANT SOMEONE TO FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU, PLAY THEM THE DEXTER GORDON "BALLADS" CD!STANLEY TURRENTINE - HE HAD IT ALL! AND HE BROUGHT IT HERE TO DC! WE MISS YOU STANLEY!John Coltrane, Oscar Peterson, Cannonball Adderley, Miles Davis
Sounds Like: Myself
Record Label: unsigned
Type of Label: None