Well, hello, audience.

Thank you for watching.

Thank you for listening.

We are here at KUVO 89.3 jazz and we're really excited to be here.

I have Mr. Victor Gould on piano, Eric Wheeler on the bass, and Gregory Archery on the drum set.

Today we are playing some music from my latest record.

And, it's called Messages on my very own Empress Legacy Recacy, on my very own Empress Legacy Records.

The first track, we're going to play is called Happy Living.

This is a tune that I wrot for my late great grandfather, the Reverend Buford Lee Horne Senior.

He had a lot of crazy storie for me when I was a little girl.

One day he said, Jazz, do you know about the man with the two bags?

And I said, no, granddaddy, but you're going to tell m about the man with the two bags.

So tell me.

He said there was a man with two bags, and he walked along on his journey, and he kept one bag, very small bag in the front, close to his heart, and it was very small.

And he had another bag was large, and he kept it on his back and it had a hole in it.

Do you know why it had a hole in it?

I said, no, granddaddy tell me why it had a hole in it.

He said, that bag had a hole in it because as the man walked along on his journey, people said mean things and did mean things very ugly and hateful things to him.

But he would take those things and those feelings and those emotions and those sayings and put them on his back in that bag.

And as he walked along, it would fall on out because it had a hole in it.

But the small things, the small bag, it wasn't very full, but it was also very small.

And it was because the nice and kind gestures that people did and said to him, he kept them on his front and it wasn't a heavy bag.

And it won't be very many for you on your journey.

So I like to think that I'm continuing his legacy by telling his stories.

This song is for him.

It's called Happy Living.

I hope you enjoy it.

When I wake up, I know it's such a blessing.

And so I really.

Don't be stressing.

About what the day, May bring I keep my head up high, I look through the sky.

And if some rain shall fall, the pain will wash away with it.

Because people always sayin whatever they are sayin.

I have no time for playin.

Because I spend my time on praying.

And whenever it gets dark, I feel the most high in my heart.

And then I look up at the moon and stars to guide my my way.

I like to think my own thoughts.

Cause I'm smart, very clever.

And I can think for myself.

In any weather.

I like to be what I be and who I be when I be happy, livin my own life with no strife, It's so free and I don't feel bad when others make me mad.

I keep holding my back on my shoulders.

And just sing my own sing, my own songs keep along on my journey.

Of becoming my greatest me, It's me and I best be who I be, I be me.

Let me say it again, said I be free to be me Happy me Oh, yeah.

Victor Gould, mhmm I like to think, My own thoughts.

Cause I'm smart, And very clever.

And I can think For my little ‘ol self In any way that I like to be.

What I be and who I be when I be happy.

Living my own life.

With no strife.

It's so free.

I don't feel ba when others try to make me mad.

I keep a hole in my bag on my shoulders and just sing my own songs And I keep along on my journey of becoming my greatest me.

And I just be, who I be, I be free.

To be me, Said I'm free financially and spiritually.

Abundantly.

I'm free mentally.

Oh yes, I'm free.

Sovereignty.

I be free grammatically.

Oh yes, yes I'm free.

Say I'm free.

Oh yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah I'm free.

Said I'm free to be me.

Happy me.

KUVO jazz, Im Jazzmeia Horn, Thank you so much for tuning in.

Listen, folks, when you feel like giving up, don't.

I took a trip on a train one day, and I cried my heart out.

And I felt like giving up on life.

Because I looked around and I saw things that didn't make sense for me.

Didn't make sense for my culture, and I tried to be the change that I really wanted to see.

But I cried and I wanted to just let go.

Not necessarily commit suicide or anything like that, but I wanted to quit music.

And I heard a voic hover over me say these words.

This is called Destiny.

Sit still and listen.

Just use your brain.

Youre here now You won't go, insane Destiny is knocking at your door.

Will you open?

Youre here now, Youre here now, So, Don't ever give in.

Just sit still.

Sit still and listen to.

Just use your.

Just use, just use your brain.

Youre here now.

You wont go insane Destiny, Destiny is knocking, Knocking at your door.

Will you?

Will you, be there?

You're here.

You're here now.

Don't ever don't you ever give in.

And that's Eric Wheeler.

Just sit still and listen.

Just use your brain.

Youre here now, Oh, so just chill chill, chill, chill Oh, you wont go, wont go wont go, won't go, won't go, Insane Destiny, des-destiny, Destiny is knock knock knocking at your door.

But will you.

Oh, will you open?

Youre here now you're here now.

So, Don't ever.

No, never.

Dont ever Give in, Never give in.

We have one more piece for you.

Have you ever sat down and wanted your voice mail to sound?

I don't know, creative or, you know, unique, uniquely, you?

I definitely di when I recorded this years ago.

If you had my phone number, which you, More than likely don't.

But if you did and you called my phone and I didn't answer, this is what you would hear.

This is called Voicemail Blues.

Well, hello!

You've reached the voicemail of Jazz Horn, but I'm not home to leave a message after the tone and I will call you back.

And as a matter.

Of fact, life goes like that now.

Now peace and love, Kisses and hugs Youve reached the Voicemail Blues Well, hello.

You've reached the voicemail.

Of Jazz Horn, but I'm not home, so leave a message after tone and I'll call you back.

And as a matter.

Of fact, life goes like that.

Peace and love, Kisses and hugs, Youve reached the Voicemail Blues *Scat singing* *Scat singing* Boop beep beep boop beep beep beep beep boop beep beep beep on the phone.

De de de de de de de de de de de de de la de I.

*Scat singing* You reach the voicemail of Jazz Horn, But I'm not home So leave a message after the tone and I'll call you back.

And as a matter of fact, life goes like that.

Peace and love kiss and hugs.

You reach the voicemail.

Youve reached the Voicemail Blues.

You reached the voicemail.

Yeah.

Voicemail Blues.

Yeah, folks, thank you so much.

That's Victo Gould on the piano over there.

Mister Eric Wheeler on that contrabass fiddle.

And Greg Archery on the drum set.

I'm Jazzmeia Horn.

Thank you so much for tuning in today.

May the most high bless and keep you keep supporting.

This music that we call jazz.

Yes, indeed.

Voicemail Blues.

Youve reached the Voicemail Blues.

Welcome back to KUVO, Bonfils Stanton performance Studio.

I'm sitting next to the one and only Jazzmeia Horn.

Welcome to Denver.

Welcome to KUVO.

Thank you.

Thanks for having me.

My announcer friends here at the radio station love when you snap our fingers.

And we love when you count off the songs.

Oh, is that your little secret ingredient?

Because we love it.

I think so, yeah Whenever I am a guest artist on someone else's record, you know, like, the Baylor project, Diane Reeves and I played on one of their pieces.

A couple of years ago, and they asked me, can you count off?

I'm like, okay.

And, you know, it just became my signature.

You know, it's kind of a way of saying, like, I am in control of what's happening without saying I'm in control of what was happening.

You know, I think there's somethin to the Jazzmeia Horn approach.

In fact, your book and your course is called Strive From Within?

Correct.

And so with all that you do in managing Empress Legacy Records, in managing the aspects of your career, you're composing big projects, small projects, touring.

You're you're working with a lot.

But the artists of today sort of have to touch all these things.

Or maybe not.

Maybe this is something just you and a few people like to do.

I have a few friends who, you know, they call me, and then I go, girl, I don't know how you do it.

I don' I don't want that much control.

I'd like to have, you know, my representation.

And I just get up there and do what I need to do and keep it moving.

I don't I don't agree with that.

Me personally, I'd like to be not necessarily in control over everything because we know that the most high is in control over everything, but, as it pertains to my career and my style of dress and my message, I would rather speak for myself and not be represented.

I can present for myself.

So everything from my style of dress to which is, you know, part of my anthropology to my song choices, which on this, you know, new record, I'm singing a lot of my original compositions versus standards.

And, I'm going to keep that energy going for as long as for as long as I'm alive, for as long as I can.

And that keeps everybody around you on their toes not just counting off the music.

And I see your trio enjoying working with you.

You feel the fun, you feel the positive energy, the, the the part about your voice.

If I could get one many a tiny little lesson, okay.

In finding your voice.

Did it happen when you won the Monk competition?

No.

When did you discover that?

Oh, this is my voice.

This is who I am.

Well, there's two aspects of that, right?

There's the.

I'm a three year old child, and people are telling me to sing and I'm hearing the choir and I'm also hearing in my head my mother's voice, because she was my first teacher and my grandmother's voice because she was my first teacher, you know?

So I'm hearing their voices, and I don't hear the difference between my voice and their voice, because it's almost like it's connected.

That was my first teacher.

So I'm five, six, seven first grade, and the choir teacher is not teaching in the same wa that my grandmother teaches me.

So now I'm hearing that my voice is different from everybody else around me at home.

I fit right in because it's my family.

But at school I had a hard time fitting in and so going to school and learning classical music and you know, learning arias and things in first grade, second or third grade, you know, different songs and pieces, choral pieces was a little bit difficult.

But that was the first time where I'm like, oh, like I have to carry my note.

I'm not relying on someone around me to show me how to do it.

I've actually got to stand firm in this section.

That's the first part.

And then afte knowing that I have the voice, allowing the voice to develop by seeking and holding on to and grasping in the same way that I grasp my mother and my grandmother's concept, the concept of Abby Lincol in the concept of Sarah Vaughan, the concept of Little Jimmy Scott, the concept of, Brandy.

You know, Moesha.

The concept of Jill Scott, like really learning their vocabulary because they ar they all have their own styles.

And I was like, well, what is my style?

Like, what does that even mean?

Who am I going to be?

Because I'm searching for that within all of these other people that I'm inspired by.

You know, a saxophone player listens to, you know, Train for hours and hours and years and year and days and days before he or she decides to learn exactl how to project their own voice.

And it's the same thing for a vocalist.

So during the Sarah Vaugha competition, which was in 2000 well, 2012 and 2013, particularly 13, because that's the year that I won.

They came backstage and they said, listen, you've already played two songs you've done East of the Sun and Misty or whatever and we really want to hear you.

We're hearing Sarah Vaughan.

You're not here for us to hear Sarah Vaughan again.

She has already lived her life and created, you know, wonderful records and legacy.

And it's your time to put dow what it is that you want to put.

What's your stamp?

And I was like, what are they talking about?

What does that mean?

And my friend was like, look, just go out there and do what you do at jam session and do what you do on your gigs.

Don't make this about trying to wi the Sarah Vaughan competition.

Just be you.

Her name was Wanda Darden and was like, just be you.

I was like, okay, I'm going to try and won.

And from that moment I was like, oh, okay, it's all right for me to like, really be myself.

At the time, I hadn't really studied Betty Carter.

It was mostly Sarah Vaughan, and then one of, one of my mentors said, you know who Betty Carter is?

I was like, no.

And they were like, there's a Jazz Ahead progra that you should participate in, and you should hear about and you should know about.

You should study Betty Carter.

And it was on and poppin It was on and poppin That lady set me free.

When you were yourself or liberated to be yoursel or to try that or just do that.

And it worked.

The lightbulb came on and said oh yeah.

Absolutely, it was over Okay, Well done.

You got it.

Lesson learned.

Thank you for sharing your gift with the world.

We really appreciate it.

And your visit to KUVO.

My pleasure.

Thank you, thank you.