There are a lot of ways to describe jazz vocalist April May Webb’s style.
Jazz pianist Mulgrew Miller described her as “at once, lyrical and soulful.”
Reviewer Rob Lester noted that she “sings, whoops, and impressively scats.”
Overall, Webb is an innovative voice in contemporary jazz. But we’re going to refer to her style as Sassy.
Why Sassy?
Because Webb is the 2024 winner of the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, also known as the Sassy Award after Vaughan’s nickname.
The Sassy competition, which last year began with more than 200 entrants from 21 different countries, is one of the top annual vocal contests in jazz, and winning has become a building block for many artists’ careers.
Webb, who is 33 and has three albums with her band and two solo projects, told a reporter for UK Jazz News, “I’ve been doing this for a very long time. … You just need that attention grabber for people that literally just didn’t know who you are.”
It’s that kind of exposure that helped land her a spot on the closing night of the 53rd Annual Wichita Jazz Festival. But, what also caught the eye of festival planners, is Webb’s Kansas roots.
She was born and raised just up the road in North Newton, Kansas, and her parents – Stanley and Felecia Webb – still live there.
So, an appearance at the Wichita Jazz festival is a trip home for April May and her brothers Nathan and Jacob Webb, who are members of her group Sounds of A&R. They’ll join her onstage at the festival, along with pianist Yayo Ikawa.
Rounding out the group is trumpeter (and April May’s husband) Randall Haywood, voted Male Rising Star at Hot House Jazz Magazine and Jazzmobile NYC.
Brother Jacob, an award-winning producer, pianist and multi-instrumentalist who founded Next Paradigm Records, will be on bass. Nathan, who champions music education, will be on drums and percussion.
Together, the Sounds Of April & Randall will S.O.A.R., blending jazz with country, R&B, and gospel influences. Their music has earned national acclaim with the group’s third album, “Questions Left Unanswered,” released in 2021, peaking at No. 12 on the National Jazz Week Charts. The album landed on Jazz Week’s Top 50 Jazz Albums for the year.
Kansas Roots
The Webbs grew up in a musical home and like many professional musicians and singers, sowed their musical roots in the church. In this case, April and her two brothers, who are older, got their musical start at Second Baptist Church in Newton, but they also toured the Midwest with their group Webb 3, singing both gospel and jazz.
However, April May credits her brothers for driving her interest in jazz.
Festival Finale
Sounds of A&R will open the final night of the 2025 jazz festival on Sat., April 26, at the Orpheum Theater, from 7 to 10 p.m. Closing out the night will be legendary drummer Matt Wilson’s Good Trouble – another jazz act with Kansas roots.
Come find out why this New York-based drummer – and Wichita State University grad – is among the most-in demand players and educators on the modern jazz scene.
Wilson has released 13 albums as a leader, appeared on more than 400 others as a sideman, and has played with an impressive array of the most legendary jazz names.
As noted by Downbeat magazine: “Good Trouble finds Matt Wilson as boisterous and hard-swinging as ever.”
Good Trouble features Anisha Rush on alto sax, Dawn Clement on piano and vocals,
Jeff Lederer on tenor sax and clarinet, and Ben Allison on bass,
Tickets to the festival finale are on sale through Select-A-Seat. Tickets start at $45. Doors open at 6 p.m.
