| Jazz |
A Voice for the Ages: Tyreek McDole’s Dazzling Jazz Debut Bridges Past and Future
In the ever-evolving world of jazz vocals, where voices like Michael Mayo push the boundaries of style and expression, a new voice rises, not in imitation, but in parallel, with its own compelling language and vision. In a genre that thrives on both reverence and reinvention, 25-year-old Tyreek McDole emerges with a debut album that is at once sublime, thoughtful, and daringly intelligent. It is the kind of first statement that doesn’t merely introduce an artist, it positions him squarely in the lineage of the greats, even as it glances boldly toward the future.
Based in New York and of Haitian-American heritage, McDole’s trajectory already defies the norms. In 2023, he won the prestigious Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, becoming only the second male vocalist to claim the top prize in the contest’s twelve-year history. That victory was no fluke. Jazz historian and critic Will Friedwald, who penned the liner notes to McDole’s album, calls him “the jazz voice of his generation.” Acclaimed British DJ and tastemaker Gilles Peterson echoes that sentiment, praising McDole’s voice as “rooted in tradition, but propelled by a forward-looking energy. A brilliant debut that marks the beginning of a lasting career.”
Indeed, McDole’s sound evokes shades of Nat King Cole, his baritone is warm, rounded, unforced, and touched by a quiet elegance. He can croon, yes, but never indulges in excess. There’s a remarkable restraint to his delivery, a humility even, that allows the music to breathe. At times, the vocal technique is so seamless it becomes invisible. What remains is a rare sense of intimacy and timelessness.
The album’s repertoire is as curated as it is revealing. McDole’s affinity for spiritual and philosophical themes weaves through the track list. His version of The Creator Has a Master Plan, the Leon Thomas classic, bursts to life with a searing solo from Tomoki Sanders, son of the late, great Pharoah Sanders, bridging generations in a single, transcendent moment. His take on Thelonious Monk’s Ugly Beauty, set to lyrics by Mike Ferro, gains unexpected emotional depth with the contribution of the legendary pianist Kenny Barron, whose playing lends the track a masterclass in nuance.
Before diving deep into McDole’s work, I found myself revisiting classic vocal jazz recordings, Sinatra with Lionel Hampton, for instance. That era’s sense of musical selection and respect for tradition finds a quiet echo here. Yet where Michael Mayo might compose wholly original work from scratch, McDole operates with a different mission: to revive, reframe, and reinterpret. His genius lies not in invention for its own sake, but in the careful calibration of homage and innovation. Alongside a cadre of first-rate musicians, McDole manages the rare feat of reimagining standards without ever stripping them of their original soul.
This album is, in every sense, a revelation. A surprise, yes, but one that feels inevitable once heard. It is rich with discovery and sophistication, a high-water mark for vocal jazz in 2025. There is something deeply personal here too, McDole doesn’t perform these songs so much as share them, opening his voice with rare sincerity and grace. At moments, the album edges toward the territory of classy blues, the kind of elegant soulfulness once owned by artists like Keb’ Mo’.
In Tyreek McDole, jazz finds not just a new star, but a new steward, one with an ear for the past, a voice for the present, and a vision for the century ahead.
by Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, May 16th 2025
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Musicians:
Tyreek McDole, voice
Caelan Cardello, piano
Nicholas Payton, trumpet
Weedie Braimah, percussions
Kenny Barron, piano
Dylan Band, tenor saxophone
Rodney Whitaker, bass
Sulivan Fortner, piano
Emmanuel Michael, guitar
Tracklist:
1. The Backward Step – 5:45 (Nicholas Payton)
2. The Umbrella Man – 4:04 (Vincent Rose, Larry Stock, James Cavanaugh)
3. The Creator Has a Master Plan (Intro) – 1:51 (Pharoah Sanders, Leon Thomas)
4. The Creator Has a Master Plan – 7:18 (Pharoah Sanders, Leon Thomas)
5. Ugly Beauty – 4:41 (Thelonious Monk, Mike Ferro)
6. The Sun Song (Precious Energy) – 4:15 (Leon Thomas)
7. Somalia Rose – 5:42 (Allyn Johnson)
8. Wongolo Wale – 1:15 (Traditional Haitian Chant)
9. Won’t You Open Up Your Senses – 6:14 (Horace Silver)
10. Under a Blanket of Blue – 3:14 (Jerry Livingston, Al J. Neiburg, Marty Symes)
11. Love Is a Four-Letter Word – 1:28 (Nicholas Payton)
12. Everyday I Have the Blues – 5:59 (Pinetop Sparks, Milton Sparks)
13. The Sun Song (Reprise) – 1:14 (Leon Thomas)