Bringing jazz into the gospel music scene is a success of the husband and wife duo: The Baylor Project. Jean Baylor and Marcus Baylor, both children of Pastors, grew up to love church music. Eventually, the two has found comfort in each other’s arms and became an inspiring pair who wrote and produced majestic jazz songs in the field of Gospel music. Jean Baylor is the main vocalist, while Marcus Baylor is the drummer.
As they wrote and produced songs, their debut album “The Journey” made its way into the public on February 10, 2017. Jean and Marcus released the album through their artist-owned label—Be A Light. The Baylor Project brought their color to the album with a dash of jazz and blues inspiration. Having 11 songs in total, the album showcased their deep roots with the church. Each piece has a great hymn and message about the Gospel.
To say the debut album was a success is an understatement. It was a huge hit, and it remained in the top 10 for quite a while in the Billboard Jazz Chart. On top of that, The Baylor Project earned their first two GRAMMY award nominations. First with “The Journey” album under the Best Jazz Vocal Album and then Jean and Marcus Baylor for the Best Traditional R&B Performance category.
In 2020, The Baylor Project released a single called “Sit On Down.” Their second album, “Generations,” also came out the following year. The single and the second album also became nominated in the same GRAMMY categories, Best Traditional R&B Performance, and Best Jazz Vocal Album, respectively. Even with the second album, the fantastic duo made sure to tell remarkable stories about love, faith, and family through their sacred songs. It is incredibly heartwarming to listen now that we are at the trying times of a pandemic.
