When on 22 September 2012, the then 24-year-old Jamison Ross took to the stage as the final competitor in the 25th Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition held at Washington’s National Museum of Natural History, his fate was changed once and for all. Beginning with refined brushwork, the complexity of his stick work also proved to be utterly dazzling. Though it was not his intention to perform incredible displays of wizardry, he still managed to sweep the jury members off their feet with his sure and stable accompaniment, attentiveness, musicality and good-natured personality. As a result, the jury – which included Jimmy Cobb, Ben Riley, Peter Erskine, Carl Allen, Terri Lyne Carrington and Brian Blade – eventually awarded him first prize.
With praise from legends like these, we can be sure that Jamison Ross is a special talent, and those gathered that day did not even know at the time that this young man from Jacksonville, Florida, is not only a natural genius on the drums, but also excels as a singer. Like many young musicians with a similar cultural background, Ross polished his talent among the congregation of his grandfather’s church. Encouraged by his mother, he supplemented his instinctive feeling for music with formal training, acquiring a master’s degree in jazz in New Orleans. Thanks to his competition victory, he has enjoyed the chance to work with Cécile McLorin Salvant, Dr. John, Christian McBride and Wynton Marsalis. On his debut album, released in 2015, he demonstrates his ability to slip elegantly back and forth between the styles of soul-jazz, blues and funk not merely as a drummer and singer, but as a composer too.

Presented by: Müpa Budapest