Lauded as one of the jazz world's fastest-rising stars, 25-yea-old Ekep Nkwelle's extraordinary vocal talent has drawn comparisons to Ella Fitzgerald. She's earned a prestigious Juilliard Career Advancement Grant and was First Runner-Up in The Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Voice Competition.

This Washington, D.C. native began studying music as a pre-teen, has performed with giants like Russell Malone and Cyrus Chestnut, and has recently toured with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra.