2023 Lineup / Vocal

Yvonne Flores is a San Francisco-born jazz vocalist and composer inspired by musical legends Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Frank Sinatra and Joni Mitchell, and others. Her eclectic live show performance will showcase songs from her debut album Sheer Bliss highlighting her unique stylings in jazz, contemporary pop as well as a sprinkle of Latin and Brazilian rhythms.

Emmy Award nominated Benny Benack III is not only a fiery trumpet player with a stirring command of the post-bop trumpet vernacular, but also a singer with a sly, mature, naturally expressive delivery. The 2022 DownBeat Critics Poll recently featured him as both a Rising Star Male Vocalist and Rising Star Trumpeter.

Lalin St. Juste is a rising star in the music world, known for her soulful vocals and genre-defying sound. As a queer Haitian-American artist, she draws from her rich cultural heritage to create music that is both innovative and socially conscious. Her music often touches on themes of identity, justice, and equality.

Halie Loren is an international, award-winning jazz singer and songwriter. Raised in Alaska and currently based in Oregon, she brings a fresh and original perspective to time-honored musical paths, channeling her innate understanding of connectedness across musical boundaries to forge bonds with diverse audiences in North America, Asia, and Europe.

Ronit Widmann-Levy combines her opera background with piano from William Susman and the classical guitar of Yuri Liberzon to produce a spine-tingling performance. Having performed at renowned festivals and symphonies the world over, they appear at Summer Fest to present a Spanish recital of traditional Ladino romansa pieces written by Manuel de Falla, Rodrigo and Lorca.

Shayna Steele’s new album Gold Dust was created in the wake of the pandemic, a breakthrough 20 years in the making. In 10 tracks, she absorbs the darkness of isolation and illuminates the air with her brilliant voice and emotion–setting a new gold standard for jazz and soul.

Together, Kenny Washington, Nicolas Bearde and Jamie Davis are the Vocal Gents of Jazz. Having given memorable performances at Summer Fest in years past, they are teaming up for the very first time, offering individual and ensemble interpretations of the music of Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Joe Williams.