Vocalist Lucy Wijnands to perform with the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra

During the height of the pandemic in 2020, jazz vocalist Lucy Wijnands graduated from the State University of New York Purchase Conservatory of Music. Despite tirelessly honing her craft during her time in school, Wijnands left feeling directionless and discouraged amid the widespread Covid-19 outbreak.

“I was ready to give up before I even began,” Wijnands says. “It was soul-crushing.”

After graduating, Wijnands moved to Brooklyn and soon found herself immersed in a tight-knit community of jazz musicians. At a time when live music was difficult to find in the city, she discovered Wilson Live—a space she describes as a “playground of music” where musicians could gather and create.

“They inspired me to believe in myself and not give up,” Wijnands says.

As the pandemic subsided, Wijnands’ career ultimately began to take off. In 2021, the singer took home first place at the prestigious Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Vocal Competition.

But Wijnands’ immersion in music started long before her professional career. Raised in a musical family, she grew up surrounded by jazz. She was often toted along to gigs by her father, KC stride piano player Bram Wijnands.

“I would always crawl up on the stage and wanted to be a part of it,” she says.

In middle school, she began spending nearly every Saturday watching her dad perform at The Majestic. Before long, she started sitting in with him, finding her footing onstage.

“I looked up to him,” Wijnands says. “I adored him so much.”

Soon after, Wijnands moved to New York with her mom and twin sister. The cross-country relocation hit her hard, but she found solace when she began taking her first voice lessons with NYC vocal legend Anne Phillips.

“From there, everything just came into place,” Wijnands says. 

Now, the singer will return to KC for a special father-daughter performance alongside the Kansas City Jazz Orchestra on March 1. Wijnands’ vintage, crystal-clear voice will be backed by a robust big band to deliver a heartwarming evening of jazz standards and show tunes at the Folly Theater. The duo will also perform sans big band at Midtown’s Upcycle Piano Craft on March 4 for a free happy hour show.

Later this month, Wijnands is set to spend more time with her dad—this time in the studio working on a live album, where she’ll invite a small audience. She’s still finalizing the tracklist, but she hopes to record a total of 20 songs, including jazz standards, songs from musicals and a few originals.

Among the songs, Wijnands will pay homage to her hometown, featuring bluesy, boogie-woogie tunes from the early days of Kansas City jazz—including compositions from Jay McShann and Jimmy Witherspoon. The album, her first since her 2023 debut Something Awaits, is slated for release later this spring. Wijnands, who’s also a visual artist, plans to design the album cover, too. 

“Part of why I want to record with my dad is because I really want to honor what we’re doing,” Wijnands says. “I want to honor him, but I also want to explore what else I can do.”  

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GO: “Always and Forever” featuring Lucy and Bram Wijnands. Saturday, March 1, 7 pm. Folly Theater, 300 W. 12th St., KCMO. Tickets range from $28 to $80 and are available at follytheater.org.

Lucy and Bram Wijnands. Tuesday, March 4, 4:30 pm. Upcycle Piano Craft, 3945 Main St., KCMO. 

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