Jimmy Kraft is a multi-genre musician who draws largely from his background in jazz and combines it with a love of soul music and iconic songwriters. He skillfully navigates a number of musical environments—jazz duos, quartets, big bands, pop settings, and solo piano/vocal appearances.
In a jazz setting, Jimmy is known for his dynamic interpretation of timeless melodies and his agile vocal improvisation. His performances are marked by slick bandleading, engaging crowdwork, and enthralling vocal expression. He harnesses his experience as a saxophonist to converge with instrumentalists in a way few vocalists do, tastefully leading and intertwining with any ensemble from start to finish.
Live Jazz Performances
Jimmy has performed at an assortment of venues since moving to NYC in 2022—among them Rockwood Music Hall, The Bitter End, Fiction, Parkside Lounge, Bowery Electric, and a pop/jazz residency at the Park Central Hotel. He currently holds a monthly jazz residency at Good Judy's Blue Room and has consistently appeared on independent artist circuits like Sofar Sounds and Breaking Sound.
Jimmy’s original music exhibits another side of his art and is fundamentally built upon his passion for jazz. His sensitive and impassioned vocals deliver lyrics that read as florid journal entries set to pop-soul tone poems. Somewhere between Bill Withers, Billie Holiday, and Billy Joel, Jimmy’s sound represents the sweetest form of identity crisis. This distinct aesthetic blend can be heard on his self-produced EP Lilacs, a farewell to the West Coast and a love letter to love itself. A succinct yet grand showing of his composing and arranging chops, Lilacs was featured on Lost Church radio, West of Twin Peaks podcast, and a variety of tastemaker playlists.
