Sounds of

April & Randall

Sounds of April & Randall is an award-winning jazz ensemble led by vocalist April May Webb, winner of the 2024 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, and trumpeter Randall Haywood, recipient of the Hot House Jazz Magazine and Jazzmobile NYC Reader’s Jazz Award for “Male Rising Star.” Voted Best Jazz Group at the 2019 New York City Readers’ Jazz Awards, the duo brings a distinctive musical chemistry to the stage, blending jazz with influences from R&B, gospel, and country.

Their musical journey began at a New Jersey jam session and has grown into an acclaimed partnership rooted in storytelling, musical excellence, and a shared commitment to artistic expression. April May studied under the late jazz pianist Mulgrew Miller at William Paterson University, becoming the first Black woman to graduate from the university’s Jazz Education program. Randall earned his master’s degree from Juilliard and joined the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra at just 15, becoming its youngest member.

In 2023, Sounds of April & Randall were named U.S. Cultural Ambassadors, representing the United States through the U.S. Department of State’s American Music Abroad program with performances and educational workshops in Fiji and Tonga. They have shared the stage with celebrated artists including Ron Carter, Terri Lyne Carrington, Gregory Porter, Danilo Pérez, Bill Charlap, Brian Blade, and John Patitucci. Their work has also been supported by grants from Chamber Music America and South Arts.

Their recordings have earned national recognition, with “Horizon” reaching No. 17 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Charts and Questions Left Unanswered peaking at No. 12 on the National Jazz Week charts. In 2025, their song “Everybody Ain’t Gonna Like You” won Gold at the Annual Songwriters Association Competition of Washington.

Through their original music, inventive arrangements, and engaging live performances, Sounds of April & Randall continue to create a sound that bridges genres, connects generations, and inspires audiences.