Vulfpeck / Judith Hill

Vulfpeck have always done things their own way. There is no one to tame them. They were the first band to fill Madison Square Garden without the support of a manager or a major label - they have their own, Vulf Records - and released an album called "Sleepify" (2014), with no sound on any of its tracks, just to finance a tour through their plays on Spotify (they recommended it for sleeping, of course) and to question the streaming platform's profit sharing. The incorrigible Jack Stratton, Theo Katzman, Woody Goss and Joe Dart met just over a decade ago at the University of Michigan, and since then they have released six albums of very elegant soul funk, with an eye on the teachings of Steely Dan, The Meters, Booker T & the MG's or The Funk Brothers, the legendary Motown resident band. They have collaborated with Bootsy Collins, Louis Cole or Corey Wong, among many others, and their live performances are synonymous with distinction, finesse, versatility and sense of rhythm.

Michael Jackson chose her to sing "I Just Can't Stop Loving You" as a duet on his 2009 tour. She starred in the movie "Twenty Steps From Fame" (2013). He won a Grammy for his contribution to its soundtrack. He opened for Josh Groban in 2013 and John Legend in 2014. He did backing vocals for some of the most legendary musicians in history (Carole King, Rod Stewart, Greg Allman). And he recorded his first album in Paisley Park with Prince as co-producer in 2015. For something she always admired the genius of Minneapolis, as well as Curtis Mayfield or Sly and the Family Stone. Everything in the career of this woman, born in Los Angeles in 1984, was aimed at her becoming a star. And so it has been, thanks to five albums that move between soul, funk, rock, pop and r'n'b. The last of them, "Letters From a Black Widow" (2024), is another example of skill and perseverance.

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