Nnenna Freelon

Nnenna Freelon is an internationally acclaimed vocalist, composer, arranger, and producer based in Durham, North Carolina. After starting her career during her late thirties, she made up for lost time when her eponymous 1992 debut, 1993's Heritage, and 1994's Listen all charted. She signed with Concord for 1996's Shaking Free backed by a quintet. Her slightly smoky, airy alto is equally comfortable singing jazz standards, contemporary jazz, soul, and gospel. She closed the 20th century with 1998's Top Ten Maiden Voyage. Freelon immersed herself in articulating and extending tradition on 2000's Soulcall and 2002's Wonder. Live at Kennedy Center appeared in 2003, while the Grammy-nominated Blueprint of a Lady: Sketches of Billie Holiday, Better Than Anything was released in 2005, and followed by Better Than Anything in 2008 and Homefree in 2010. Between 2016 and 2019, she was a caregiver for her husband suffering with ALS. In 2021, her Grammy-nominated Time Traveler appeared from Origin, and followed in 2025 by Beneath the Skin.