On a February afternoon shaped by soft winter light, the Berkley Theater will welcome a voice that moves easily between eras, carrying jazz forward with grace and clarity. Jazzmeia Horn’s Peterson Concert appearance offers Greenwich an afternoon of music rooted in tradition and alive with invention, marking Black History Month with sound that feels both celebratory and deeply personal.
The concert begins at 3 p.m., with doors opening at 2:30, inviting listeners to settle in before the first note rises. Horn arrives with a quartet and a presence that fills a room without excess. Her voice— supple, commanding, and precise—has earned her three GRAMMY nominations and a reputation as one of the most compelling vocalists working in jazz today.
Horn first drew national attention with *A Social Call*, followed by *Love & Liberation*, which earned the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Jazz Album. Her ambitious big-band project *Dear Love* expanded her musical palette further, earning recognition for Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album. Each release reflects an artist deeply engaged with jazz history while shaping it through her own experiences and sensibilities.
Her upcoming album, *Messages*, set for release October 25 on Empress Legacy Records, continues that trajectory. Written largely while traveling, the album captures moments of reflection shaped by distance, movement, and quiet observation. Looking out over a Tokyo skyline, Horn found herself thinking about family, faith, and the decisions that shape a life in music. Those reflections became songs that speak with warmth and assurance.
Horn’s voice carries echoes of Sarah Vaughan’s richness and Betty Carter’s elasticity, yet her sound remains unmistakably her own. She moves through melodies with ease, pairing virtuosic scatting with storytelling that feels conversational and sincere. Each phrase suggests careful listening—to the band, to the moment, to the lineage behind the music.
Songs like “Sing Your Own Song” and “Mother’s Love” explore devotion, independence, and care through melodies that shift and breathe. Horn’s writing favors openness, allowing rhythms to change course and melodies to settle in unexpected places. The effect is intimate, inviting listeners into a musical space shaped by trust and curiosity.
Throughout *Messages*, Horn plays with time and texture. She revisits the 1932 standard “You’re Getting to Be a Habit with Me” alongside originals that recall the ease of mid-century jazz while incorporating contemporary elements. Voice recordings and voicemails appear throughout the album, transforming everyday exchanges into musical moments that feel immediate and human.
On stage, this material takes on new dimension. Horn’s quartet performs with precision and responsiveness, shaping each piece collectively. Trumpeter Marquis Hill, pianists Keith Brown and Victor Gould, bassist Eric Wheeler, percussionist Kahlil Kwame Bell, and drummer Anwar Marshall bring depth and balance to the performance, meeting Horn’s energy with attentiveness and warmth.
The Berkley Theater provides an ideal setting for this kind of listening. The space allows the music to unfold clearly, encouraging focus and shared attention. For those who wish to continue exploring Horn’s work beyond the concert, Greenwich Library cardholders can access a curated Jazzmeia Horn playlist on Hoopla.
The Peterson Concert is generously sponsored by the Peterson Music Foundation, whose support makes afternoons like this possible. Their sponsorship ensures that music of this caliber remains part of the community’s cultural life, accessible and present.
Horn describes her music as a form of communication—messages shaped by experience, intention, and belief. Her songs speak of encouragement, reflection, and personal truth, carried by a voice that balances strength with tenderness. Listening to her perform, that clarity feels immediate and resonant.
This February afternoon offers an opportunity to hear jazz as it lives today: informed by history, guided by artistry, and shared in real time. Jazzmeia Horn’s performance promises an experience defined by musical joy, thoughtful expression, and the enduring pleasure of listening closely
