Cécile McLorin Salvant's voice has already been placed alongside those of legendary vocalists such as Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, and Ella Fitzgerald by The New York Times. The singer, who sings in both English and French, has long since become an indispensable figure in jazz; she received a Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album for three consecutive albums. Years prior, she also won the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition. But McLorin Salvant does not limit herself to a single genre or style; she draws inspiration just as easily from medieval songs and pop, and frames her performances with visual spectacle. Her versatility makes her perfectly suited for her role as this year's Artist in Residence, which means she can be seen every day with a different program.
Her second performance of this last festival day (the first is a concert with Metropole Orkest) is a duo with Sullivan Fortner, the pianist and her longtime collaborator.