Singer and songwriter Quiana Lynell approaches music with a rare combination of grace and grit. The multi-faceted talent, who works in a variety of genres, is a limitless masterclass personified. Her love for music carries over into all interactions of her life—from singing in clubs or performing huge showcases to teaching collegiate courses and having a little bit of fun on TikTok.
Like so many significant artists, Lynell comes from the church. Secular music was not permitted in her childhood home in Texas, but she always knew she was a vocalist of multiple genres. Her local public school had music education beginning in kindergarten, where she gained her first sense of how music works. She later perfected these skills at Louisiana State University, where she obtained a BA in Music.
After years of honing her craft across the country, in 2017 she made her mark on the musical world as a wise, heartfelt, warm vocalist whose voice is singular in its soul, intensity, ecstasy and outright spiritual courage. She played with her trio at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which led to her performing in Poland with trumpeter Terence Blanchard’s Spike Lee tribute with a 75-piece orchestra. That November, after considering for a couple of years whether she was ready, Lynell decided to vie for the Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition Award. She commanded the finals stage at NJPAC’s Victoria Theater and wowed the judges and audience with her vocal prowess, earning the prize that afforded her the opportunity to record an album for Concord Records. The result, 2019’s A Little Love, produced by the renowned Brian Michel Bacchus, is testament to what a rare, mesmerizing artist can achieve on her auspicious debut.
While she enjoyed that breakthrough moment in 2017, Lynell has used her gifts in several ways throughout her career. She sees each opportunity to share music with any audience as a chance to create memories and build the soundtrack of life. Whether she is leading the band or supporting other artists, she is thankful to have the opportunity to sketch new memories that last a lifetime. When she takes the stage, she guides the listeners on a journey, allowing the simplest of melodies to entrance the listener. She works to create an environment where love is paramount, emphasizing the importance of self-worth and respect through her music. She speaks uplifting lyrics to those who have been brokenhearted and stresses the importance of not letting the past dictate the future.
Lynell harnesses her voice as a true instrument and performs various genres of music with precision and validity. She frequents the stage as a clinician, performer, arranger, bandleader and songwriter. She has performed with Nicholas Payton, Tank and the Bangas, Patti Austin, Ledisi, Herbie Hancock, Jon Batiste, and countless other contemporary music luminaries. She’s graced stages such as Lincoln Center’s Dizzy’s Club, The Kennedy Center, Marian’s Jazzroom, Carnegie Hall, and Playboy Jazz Festival.
Lynell is a Recording Academy Governor for the Memphis Chapter and an Artist-in-Residence at Interlochen School of the Arts. She served four years as a Jazz and Popular Music professor at Loyola University in New Orleans. Currently, she is an instructor for, and mentors with, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation as well as the Trombone Shorty Foundation. She’s received the keys to the city from three Louisiana cities—Donaldsonville, Gonzales and Baton Rouge—and she was the 2022 recipient of the Baton Rouge Legacy Award.