For singer Jean Baylor and percussionist Marcus Baylor, the eight-time Grammy Award-nominated husband-and-wife duo collectively known as the Baylor Project, the month of June featured at least seven high-profile performances in New York City.
In the first week of June, the pair joined musician and award-winning music director Adam Blackstone and pianist Cory Henry to create a tribute to the late Richard D. Parsons, a Black business leader, at the Apollo Spring Benefit. Last week, joined by a three-person horn section and a pianist, the Baylor Project took over the legendary Blue Note jazz club for six shows, including Juneteenth, as part of the Blue Note Jazz Festival.
Among the songs the 2022 NAACP Image Award winners for for Outstanding Vocal Jazz Album performed included “Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” “Laugh and Move On,” “Tenderly,” and “More in Love,” from their 2017 debut album, “The Journey,” as well as “Only Believe,” “We Swing (The Cypher),” “Tell Me a Story,” and 2024’s “Walk With Me, Lord.”
What makes seeing the Baylor Project so special is that as masters of their craft, Jean as a vocalist and Marcus as a singer, they create unique improvisations, an essential part of the history of jazz music that can’t be heard on their recordings. Marcus Baylor demonstrated that he is not just a drummer but a true percussionist as he pulled out a seemingly endless array of percussion instruments that he played with his right hand while continuing to play the drum set with his left. Jean Baylor’s mezzo-soprano can take you to church on some songs and to the roaring 1920s on another. Their pairing is simply divine.
“We have performed there a couple of times, and it’s the first time we’re there for three nights. It’s always a pleasure to come back to the Blue Note,” Jean Baylor told the AmNews earlier in June. “It is a legendary place, and so many great people have been there over the years.”
“It’s Juneteenth and Black Music [Month], so we are excited,” Marcus Baylor chimed in. “It is always an honor to be able to play New York City. It’s always an amazing time with a special energy.”
I was at the Blue Note in NYC, Juneteenth, 2025, and witnessed an extraordinary performance byt the Baylor Project and all the musicians who played with them. They all had extraordinary skill with their instruments, artistic range and communicative skills. The bass player who played with them that night performed a long solo at one point, and it was unforgettable. I couldn’t quite hear his name, but would love to know it, so I can look him up.