This feature is derived from KNKX's Tree of Jazz, taking you through the eras, from the roots to the new budding leaves, with a weekly deep dive into iconic artists, albums, and instruments.
The radical soul singer Bilal has spent nearly 25 years creating on the edge of any single genre. He's shared his incredible vocal dexterity and emotive performances across five studio albums and an incredible list of guest performances with stars like Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Jay Z, and Common.
A member of the music collective the Soulquarians in the late '90s and early 2000s, Bilal helped define a “neo soul” movement that included D'Angelo and Erykah Badu. All of that has solidified him as one of modern music’s most adept and unique voices.
But before all that, he was a teenager growing up in the jazz, soul, and hip-hop breeding ground of Philadelphia. Bilal discovered his gift for singing in church and jazz music thanks to his father.
In a recent interview with Questlove, Bilal said that in those early years he wanted to be a full-fledged jazz singer like Nat King Cole or Kurt Elling. He was putting in the work to get there too, studying the music theory needed to hang with the instrumentalists, and learning to scat.
“I learned all Lee Morgan solos, all Miles Davis’ solos, I had them on memory,” he told Questlove, who was also a member of the Soulquarians.
After high school, he attended The New School in New York City, a top incubator for modern jazz musicians. That’s where he met future collaborators like Robert Glasper, Keyon Harrold, and Marcus Strickland.
At The New School, he was able to study under some jazz masters, like bassist Reggie Workman who played on Wayne Shorter’s “Footprints,” Pharoah Sanders’ spiritual odyssey “The Creator Has a Master Plan,” and was in John Coltrane’s band.
Bilal also studied with the vocalese master Jon Hendricks, known for adding lyrics to famous jazz standards and matching the melodies and solos note for note.
Bilal said during this time he tried out for vocal group Manhattan Transfer, and that he and Glasper would go to Hendrick's house and jam.
“He used to cut me and Rob whistlin’,” Bilal recalled. “And I would be in there scattin’ all my scattin’ s— and he would just whistle some of the baddest s—.”
Even though he didn’t become the traditional jazz singer that he once intended, Bilal's music definitely retains elements of the sound. He’s also stayed close to former classmates who have set themselves apart as some of jazz’s finest innovators.
For instance, he joined Glasper, a pianist and composer, on a version of his tune "All Matter" from the album Double Booked, and has provided guest vocals on numerous Glasper releases.
Bilal was more active in 2024 than he's been in many years. Since his debut in 2001, he's only released five official studio albums. His first release of 2024 was the raw retrospective Live at Glasshaus with Glasper and Questlove.
The trio, along with bassist Burniss Travis and special guest Common, play sprawling versions of Bilal's most popular songs to an intimate audience.
He deploys his Prince-like falsetto and his incredible vocal dexterity across the whole album, and on a version of his biggest hits "Soul Sista." Behind this track lies another jazz connection: The original version of "Soul Sista" was co-produced by James Mtume, son of legendary saxophonist Jimmy Heath.
A few months later, he released the studio album Adjust Brightness. The collection of original ballads and love songs step into electronic realms but reaffirm that Bilal is a fearless creative and romantic to the core.
The song "Lay Around" lyrically summons a vocal version of Oliver Nelson's standard "Stolen Moments" by Carmen McCrae and Betty Carter. In his song, Bilal sings: "It feels like stolen moments being here with you..." while the "Stolen Moments" lyrics written by Gail Fisher go: "Oh, how I miss all those stolen little moments..."
Bilal has connected with his classmate and genre bending trumpeter Harrold as well. He also recorded with another classmate, saxophonist Strickland, on the song "On My Mind."
Bilal's 2015 album In Another Life was produced entirely by Adrian Younge, who is behind the Jazz Is Dead series with Ali Shaheed Muhammed.
Those are some of Bilal’s connection to the Tree of Jazz. Check out more of Bilal’s interview with Questlove to hear about his encounters with Prince, and about his second album that was rejected by a major label.
This story comes from the Jan. 5, 2024 episode of the Tree of Jazz. Listen to the past two weeks of Tree of Jazz On-Demand and hear deep dives like this each week on the Tree of Jazz, on air and online every Sunday from 3-6 p.m. PT.
