Jacqui Naylor

Jacqui Naylor is a San Francisco-based jazz vocalist and songwriter who emerged in the late 1990s, carving out a unique niche through her 'acoustic smashing' technique. This method involves the contrapuntal layering of rock/pop lyrics and melodies over jazz standards or vice versa, a style that has earned her praise from both jazz purists and classic rock aficionados.

Her musical partnership with multi-instrumentalist Art Khu is central to her sound, characterized by sophisticated arrangements that blend jazz, folk, and soul. Throughout her career, spanning over ten albums including 'Dead Divas Society' and 'You Don't Know Jacq', she has maintained a reputation for high-quality audiophile production and a versatile vocal range that handles both upbeat swing and melancholic ballads with equal poise. Critically, she is viewed as a bridge-builder between genres, successfully modernizing the vocal jazz format without sacrificing its traditional elegance. Her influence is most felt in the 'vocal jazz' scene where she encourages a more adventurous approach to the standard repertoire.