Anaïs Reno is a New York City-based jazz singer who has studied jazz performance at SUNY Purchase. Having won several accolades including the jazz award in the American Traditions Competition, the Mabel Mercer competition and Julie Wilson award, Anaïs has performed in venues such as Birdland, Carnegie Hall, The Django, Dizzy’s, Chris’ Jazz Café, Madison Square Garden, the Caramoor Jazz Festival, PizzaExpress, the Edinburgh Jazz Festival, and others. Her album “Lovesome Thing”, celebrating Ellington and Strayhorn, rose to number 6 on the jazz chart in 2021. She sang “America the Beautiful” for the Mets/Yankees 9/11 game in 2021 on national television. Anaïs released a live record with London’s PizzaExpress in 2024, and will be releasing one under Club44 with Peter Bernstein, David Wong and Joe Farnsworth this May.
Emani Jones is a junior at North Carolina Central University (NCCU) and majoring in the Jazz Studies program under Vocal Performance. She is hoping to become a singer-songwriter after getting her bachelors degree and sing around the world.
Shayla Woods is a NY based vocalist. Shayla began singing when she was a child. She has experience in choral singing, musical theater, and jazz singing.
She has studied with Elena Heimur where she developed a foundation of opera technique. She is currently studying Jazz at City College of New York. Throughout her Jazz studies so far she has gained insight into what will truly help her develop into a well rounded musician. She is passionate about the study and art of improvisation. Some of Shayla’s influences are Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Louis Armstrong, Wayne Shorter. Shayla is a songwriter, and is working on her writing process as well.
Julia Head, also known as Ju’Wel, was born and raised in Cleveland, OH. Julia has been singing for as long as she can remember, growing up in The House of God Church Keith Dominion, where she was immersed in music from an early age. Coming from a musically inclined family, Julia was surrounded by melodies; her mother, Janna Head, is a talented singer who regularly leads praise and worship at their church, while her father, William Head, is a singer and also plays the Hawaiian steel guitar.
Julia received classical training as a vocal major at the Cleveland School of the Arts, where she also served as choir president. However, It wasn’t until her junior year that she was introduced to the realm of jazz music, which allowed her vocal abilities to truly flourish. This newfound love for jazz opened doors for her to perform on various prestigious stages, including Karamu House, the oldest Black producing theater in the U.S. She also contributed as an assistant teacher in a teen summer musical theater program at Karamu House.
Throughout her journey, Julia has had the honor of singing at renowned venues such as the Cleveland Institute of Music, Playhouse Square, and Severance Music Center. She has performed for significant events, including the ‘Lakewood Alive’ festival, for Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb, and at the Cavs Arena.
Julia graduated from the Cleveland School of the Arts in June 2023. In her first year of college, Julia attended Cuyahoga Community College as a Jazz major while also excelling as a student-athlete on the volleyball and track teams. She then transferred to North Carolina Central University in August 2024, where she is currently an Ella Fitzgerald scholar in the Jazz program, pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Jazz Music. Julia continues to thrive as a Dean’s List student and is an active member of the NCCU Jazz Ensemble, dedicated to cultivating her talent in every way possible.
