Urban-Jazz pianist Kayla Waters is blooming into a
consistent hitmaker. The Washington, DC-based
musician-songwriter-producer-arranger went No. 1 on the Billboard national
airplay chart dated December 14 with “Full Bloom,” which became the third
chart-topping single of the emerging artist’s budding recording career.
“Full Bloom”
appears on Waters’ sophomore album, “Coevolve,” issued last year by Trippin ‘N’
Rhythm Records. The album is a conceptual collection of songs loosely mirroring
Waters’ own growth and development – musically, personally and spiritually. On
“Full Bloom,” she uses the metaphor of a plant to tell the story of its
evolution from seedling to flourishing flora. Writing with Michael Broening,
who crafted the rhythm track, Waters’ lush piano melodies are permeated with
fervent joy and exuberance just like the artist herself. Midtrack, guitarist
and labelmate Nick Colionne adds an electric guitar solo like a nourishing ray
of sunshine.
“Full
Bloom’s” chart coronation concludes another year of significant growth for
Waters, a classically trained pianist and a Howard University music school
graduate. She spent half her weekends in 2019 on the road performing at marquee
music festivals, theaters and clubs. Highlights include her debuts at Boscov’s
Berks Jazz Festival, Seabreeze Jazz Festival, Newport Beach Jazz Festival,
Rehoboth Beach Jazz Festival and the Algarve Jazz Festival, the last of which
marked her European premiere. Waters’ 2020 concert calendar is already booking
up with dates into September. Next month, she hits the high seas for the first
time to perform aboard the Capital Jazz SuperCruise and in June, she will make
her first appearance at the Napa Valley Jazz Getaway.
Waters
introduced herself with self-confidence in 2017 with “I Am,” the first single
from her debut album, “Apogee.” The single became her first Billboard No. 1
hit. The imaginative set earned her the Rising Star in Jazz award from the
Black Women in Jazz and the Arts and Best Jazz Artist honors at DC’s Wammies. A
year later, Waters scored her second consecutive No. 1 single with “Zephyr”
from “Coevolve.”
Still in her
20s, Waters’ artistic vision, creativity, old-soul depth and sophisticated
sonic palette that incorporates improvisational jazz, R&B grooves and
inspired gospel tones have made her a welcome addition to the contemporary jazz
scene. Add to it Waters’ ambition, attention to detail, alluring beauty,
charismatic charm, devotional nature and fashion-model style, she represents a
brand with the true potential to transcend far beyond music. Her plans for 2020
include releasing her third album in the fall and opening her PuriKey
Productions to writing and producing music for other recording artists.
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