Jamile Quartet

With a deep and versatile voice, rising star vocalist Jamile is leaving her mark wherever she goes. Her latest album Daring Two Be (under La Reserve Records) was made in collaboration with guitarist Tony Davis and features the great Steve Wilson on alto saxophone. Her first album entitled 'If You Could See Me Now’ in 2019 was considered “(…) sharp, confident and professional” (Martin McFie, All About Jazz), and featured some of New York’s finest musicians Steve Wilson, Ray Gallon, Jay Leonhart, Vito Lesczak and Antonio Ciacca. Originally from Brazil, she has been a working vocalist from a young age and was a featured singer in the musical ‘Eu Sou Maria (Nativitaten)’, the largest outdoor Christmas project in the world, for an audience of 500,000 people throughout the season. Currently based in New York City and one of the most sought-after vocalists on the scene, Jamile has performed at some of the most prestigious venues in NYC including Birdland, Mezzrow, Minton's Playhouse, Smalls Jazz Club, and Jazz At Lincoln Center. Jamile has also received high praise for her performances internationally and she's a part of the project 'Don't Let Go', led by Grammy nominated pianist and composer Mike Holober. Jamile regularly performs with many of NYC's current jazz luminaries such as Miki Yamanaka, Benny Benack III, Yotam Silberstein, to name but a few. She captivates audiences with her unique phrasing and heartfelt tone, and impresses listeners with her virtuosity. Influenced by the vocal jazz and blues tradition, and rooted in the Brazilian rhythms, Jamile’s talent shines on any style or genre. 33-year old Japanese-born pianist Miki Yamanaka has called New York City home since 2012 and in the past decade has wasted no time establishing herself as one of the leading personalities of her generation on the piano and beyond. Critics laud her “light, expressive touch and solidly crafted, mainstream approach” - Mike Jurkovic (All About Jazz), while audiences delight in not only her playing, but her vibrant personality as well. Yamanaka has gained international recognition from her albums as a leader; her most recent and most intimate release, “Stairway to the Stars” (Outside In Music), features Jazz masters Mark Turner and Orlando le Fleming. Additionally, Miki has emerged as a leader of the “New York Scene” via her notable residencies at mainstay West Village sister clubs Smalls and Mezzrow. During the pandemic, she developed a successful in-home live-streaming weekly concert series cleverly titled “Miki’s Mood” where she features a veritable who’s who of NYC talent (including her husband and frequent collaborator - drummer Jimmy Macbride). The series showcases her vast knowledge of Jazz standards and tunes, often featuring themed offerings of various composers from both the Great American Songbook as well as iconic Jazz composers. As a sideman, Yamanaka has worked with Jazz luminaries such as alto saxophonist Antonio Hart who posits “Miki will be recognized as one of the most exceptional artists of her generation, as she is already one of the most talented and dedicated musicians from Japan.” Other notable bands she currently works in include the Philip Harper Quintet and the Roxy Coss Quintet. One of her most respected mentors on piano and organ (Yamanaka also performs on organ frequently), Larry Goldings, once mused, “If only I could have Miki Yamanaka comp behind me!” - a compliment of the highest order from one master pianist to another. She has a myriad of glowing reviews from her recorded work and the iconic Downbeat Jazz magazine has repeatedly awarded her albums high marks.
 

 On top of her exciting work as a bandleader in New York and abroad, Miki can often be found out and about most nights, where her infectious smile and gregarious nature engender fast friends in every audience she encounters. She has many hobbies, including cooking, knitting, and perhaps most visibly, her penchant for wearing her vast collection of kimonos on her gigs, proudly representing her heritage and culture night after night as she dazzles audiences around the world. Simón Willson is a Chilean born, New York City based bassist, composer and improviser. As an eclectic and in demand sideman, he has toured with a host of different musicians in Europe, the US, Canada, and South America. His wide-ranging interest in different realms of Jazz, popular, and improvised music has led him to work regularly with a diverse pool of established artists such as Dave Douglas, Ethan Iverson, Jason Palmer, Jonathan Kreisberg, Frank Carlberg, Roxana Amed, the Mark Morris Dance Group, among many others. In addition to his sideman work, he co-leads the bands Family Plan and Earprint. The latter won the “best debut album” category of the NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll in 2016. In 2023 Orlando Furioso, Vicente Atria’s septet in which Willson plays bass, won the Deutscher Jazz Preis in the “Best International New Artist'' category. He can be heard on over thirty-five records for labels such as Blue Note, Sony Music,Tzadik, Greenleaf, Steeplechase, Newvelle, Endectomorph, in addition to a number of self-releases. Willson has released three albums to date: “Good Company” in 2023 on Fresh Sound Records, while “Bet” and “Feel Love” were released in 2025 on Endectomorph Music to high critical acclaim. Since moving to New York in 2009, drummer Jimmy Macbride has establishedhimself as one of the most exciting and creative young voices on his instrument.Named as one of “25 For the Future” by Downbeat Magazine, Macbride is anextremely in-demand and highly regarded sideman, valued for his musicality,versatility, and adept touch on his instrument. Coming from an artistic family (hisfather was a composer and mother is a visual artist), Jimmy began playing drums atage 3 and gravitated toward jazz music at an equally young age. He is a graduate ofthe Juilliard School, where he studied with Carl Allen, Billy Drummond, andKenny Washington. Since finishing his studies, Macbride has worked some of themost important voices in jazz, including Terence Blanchard, Kurt Rosenwinkel,Jimmy Greene, Kevin Hays, and Steve Nelson. He regularly performs throughoutNew York City, at venues such as Dizzy’s Club, Smalls, The Jazz Gallery, and TheBlue Note. In addition, Jimmy’s musical skills have also taken him worldwide,affording him the opportunity to perform at clubs and festivals on five continents,including the Newport Jazz Festival, North Sea Festival, and Monterey JazzFestival. A testament to his artistic range and willingness to be part of any musicalsituation, Jimmy can be seen performing and touring regularly with a wide varietyof artists and groups, encompassing a vast array of styles. Some of these includeManuel Valera, Samuel Torres, Troy Roberts, Michael Rodriguez, Marshall Gilkes,Mike Moreno, Dave Kikoski, Nir Felder, Eldar Djangirov, and his wife andfrequent collaborator Miki Yamanaka, among many others. He is also noted for hispowerful and supportive drumming in a big band setting, appearing with theMingus Big Band, Ryan Keberle’s All Ears Orchestra, and the Terraza 7 Big Bandregularly. An active recording artist, Macbride has appeared on over 70 albums as asideman to date.