Commended for her awe-inspiring vocal gifts by world-renowned saxophonist Branford Marsalis, NCCU alumnus Autumn Rainey is a generational talent with unrivaled panache, command, and interpretive range. In 2017, Rainey’s unassailable voice eternized the soundtrack of HBO’s The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, once her powerful rendition of “Motherless Children” added gravity to Blind Willie Johnson’s first-person hymn. Acknowledged widely as the future of vocal jazz, Rainey’s incomparable dynamism envelops crowds and makes superstardom feel inevitable.

• Autumn Rainey, vocals
• Kevin Beardsley, bass
• Andrew Barinson, piano
• Donovan Cheatham, drums

Local Jazz is a concert series dedicated to spotlighting locally grown (or based) masters of jazz at The Fruit in downtown Durham on select Monday night. The series celebrates local jazz talent in a setting that mirrors a metropolitan jazz club. Local Jazz reimagines The Fruit to stage concerts that encourage distinguished bandleaders, rising stars, and ambitious students to explore new and original material, record live performances, and/or release albums locally before launching regional or national tours.