The Baylor Project
PROJECTS:
A husband. A wife. An astonishing duo built on love, family, faith, culture and community. These are the things that power The Baylor Project featuring Jean Baylor and Marcus Baylor. This enticing collaboration is steeped in the heart and soul of jazz. As the children of Pastors, Marcus’ and Jean's musical roots were planted deep within the church, and it was there that the road was paved for the influence of jazz, gospel, blues and soul to make its mark.
Their debut CD The Journey, released on their own label, Be A Light LLC, topped the Billboard Jazz Chart at Number 8 in 2017 and a year later garnered 2 GRAMMY® Nominations for Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best Traditional R&B Performance. Two years later during one of the most challenging years in recent history, The Baylors released their single, “Sit On Down” in 2020 which earned a 3rd GRAMMY® Nomination for Best Traditional R&B Performance, solidifying The Baylor Project as an undeniable force. Their second album, Generations, released in 2021 earned the duo its first NAACP Image Award win for Outstanding Jazz Album-Vocal and its 4th GRAMMY® Nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album. And their first live album, The Evening: Live At APPARATUS earned The Baylors their 5th and 6th GRAMMY® Nominations for Best Jazz Vocal Album and Best Improvised Jazz Solo. A collaboration with Adam Blackstone and Russell Ferrante earned them a 7th GRAMMY® Nomination for the original song “Vulnerable (Live)”, from the live recording, Legacy: The Instrumental Jawn. Most recently, in partnership with APOGEE Electronics, The Baylor Project received their 8th GRAMMY® Nomination for an impromptu live, in-studio performance of the age-old spiritual, “Walk With Me, Lord.”
Marcus and Jean also expanded into television, writing, producing and performing the new theme song, “GOOD LIFE” for Season 6 of the Tamron Hall Show!
The Baylor Project pays homage to their wide-ranging musical influences, and in doing so generate an eclectic sound whose overall effect is spiritual, buoyant, feel-good music.
Soulful. Melodic. Authentic. The Baylor Project.
PRESS:
“Jean and Marcus Baylor are a married couple whose buoyant, convivial music unites gospel, jazz and R&B.”
The New York Times
“Married musicians vocalist Jean Baylor and drummer Marcus Baylor have created a captivating “project” that meets at the 3-way intersection of Jazz, Gospel and Legacy. Brimming with aural snapshots of their individual roots and the sacred space where they come together, it is a very unique album that soothes the soul...”
Urban Music Scene
“The kinetic energy of “We Swing (The Cypher)” allows Jean to display her skillful scatting trading bars.....as Marcus gives us a stirring and impressive drum interlude.”
NPR Tiny Desk
“Deep longing to convey their personal truth and genuine self-expression through their art fuels their creative process, unaffected by industry norms or passing fads”
Perception Magazine
“One of our biggest shows last season was our 4th annual Father’s Day show and the Grammy nominated band The Baylor Project closed out our show with a beautiful performance!”
The Tamron Hall Show
“...freedom colors how the Baylors approach the music; melding the soul of gospel with the warmth of R&B and the innovation of jazz, their music is not what anyone thinks it should be, but it's every bit of who they are.”
All About Jazz
“Given the breadth of their musical experience, the smoothly syncretic sound of The Baylor Project comes as a surprise. There’s no bouncing from style to style just because they can, stretching to reach as many listeners as possible. Rather, the two pull from the improvisatory vocabularies of gospel, R&B and the blues to write intentional songs that appeal as much to the spirit as the ear.”
DownBeat
“The Baylor Project has created a musical exploration that is both timely and timeless.”
Radio France