The week ahead bodes auspiciously for fans of vocal jazz, with at least four terrific shows around town (some of them extending the vibe of Valentine’s Day). It’s also Mardi Gras week, and you’ll find an exuberantly fun option for Fat Tuesday. To receive this free weekly guide straight to your inbox, subscribe here! — Nate Chinen
Spotlight: Kate Kortum — Friday, Chris’ Jazz Cafe
Last fall, Kate Kortum took first prize at the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, a prestigious event whose previous winners include Jazzmeia Horn and Samara Joy. There’s reason to believe that Kortum — a recent graduate of the masters program at Juilliard, where she was prominently featured in the program’s Betty Carter Ensemble — has similar capacity for a dynamic and durable jazz-vocal career.
For confirmation, look no further than Wild Woman Tells All, a brand-new deluxe edition of her 2025 release Wild Woman, which scours the American songbook for material that could either use a reintroduction or a reframing. “It’s an expansion on those themes of taking back music written by men about the female perspective,” Kortum explains in a statement. “It explores what I’ve been diving into these past two years — songs about obsession, promiscuity, self-pride, and hatred. Feelings women are often told to shy away from.” She’ll dig right in during this one-nighter at Chris’, where she’s made herself at home before.
Feb. 20 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Chris’ Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom St, $30, with dinner packages; tickets and information.
Hoppin’ John Orchestra — Tuesday, Chris’ Jazz Cafe
For more than 20 years, the Hoppin’ John Orchestra has held down a Fat Tuesday gig at Chris’, bringing New Orleans flavor with their boisterous second-line grooves. Led by bassist Mike Hood, Hoppin’ John started out in 1996 as the brass band for the Black Eyed Peas; it has since developed its own sound and style, with plenty of room for individual players, like trumpeter Matt Cappy and trombonist Dave Champion, to shine.
Feb. 17 at 7:30 and 9 p.m., Chris’ Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom Street, $15; tickets and information.
Byron Landham Trio — Wednesday, Cellar Dog
If you’ve paid any attention to the jazz scene in Philly over the last 30 years, you’ve surely noted the consummate swinging professionalism of drummer Byron Landham. This trio, which he’s taken to calling “Bacon, Lettuce, North,” features Lucas Brown on organ and Victor North on saxophone; they’ll play this midweek show at Cellar Dog, where jazz and billiards form a companionable pairing.
Feb. 18 at 7 p.m., Cellar Dog, 258 S 15th St, $10; tickets and information.
Emmaline: Be My Valentine Tour — Friday through Sunday, South Jazz Kitchen
The vintage shimmer and coy seduction in the music of Emma Campbell, who goes by Emmaline, would seem just the fit for a long-tail Valentine’s Day celebration. Along with yearning two-steppers like “Whaddya Say?” from the recent EP Think of Me Softly, you should expect to hear a foxtrottish new single, “Guns Blazin’,” which Emmaline herself has touted as “Bond-movie theme meets Nancy Sinatra.” (Bang, bang.)
Feb. 20 & 21 at 7 and 9:30 p.m., Feb. 22 at 6 and 8:30 p.m., South Jazz Kitchen, 600 N Broad St, $45 per person; tickets and information.
Chris Lewis Quartet — Friday, Notsolatin
Local jazzfolk may remember saxophonist Chris Lewis as a Philly-made talent, a product of the jazz program at Temple’s Boyer College of Music and Dance. He now travels the world with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, whose pianist, Dan Nimmer, joins him in this hit at Notsolatin in South Philly. Also in the band are Russell Hall on bass and a current Boyer undergrad, Philly’s own Mekhi Boone, on drums.
Feb. 20 at 7:30 p.m., Notsolatin, 1440 W Ritner St, no tickets required, suggested donation of $10; tickets and information.
Julia Danielle — Saturday, Chris’ Jazz Cafe
A coolly emotive, musically assured singer, Julia Danielle won the fifth annual Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Vocal Competition in 2022 — just one indication of her talent, with others to follow. The most instructive so far has been her self-titled debut album, released in 2024, featuring standards with a modern slant. (She sings “Night and Day” in 5/4 time, making it feel as if Cole Porter had composed it that way.) Danielle will appear this weekend in fine company, with pianist Dabin Ryu, bassist Guillermo Lopez and drummer Janae Yates.
Feb. 21 at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., Chris’ Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom St, $30, with dinner packages; tickets and information.
Niia — Saturday, Velvet Whip Arts & Social Club
Niia (pronounced Nye-uh) is a singer-songwriter and pianist whose music fits most readily in alternative R&B, but with a genuine connection to jazz. She was briefly a jazz vocal major at the New School; her latest album, V, includes a version of the standard “Angel Eyes,” which you may have heard recently on WRTI. This stop on her V Tour (note: moved to the Velvet Whip from its original location, World Cafe Live) holds some heady promise.
Feb. 21 at 9:30 p.m., Velvet Whip Arts & Social Club, 319 North 11th Street, $22.50; purchase tickets.
