Janelle Finton with Alvin Santner

Fascinated by many modes of creativity, Janelle Finton is a trumpeter, vocalist, composer, and poet who approaches music making and storytelling with wonder. She has played with groups such as the Maria Schneider Orchestra, the Grace Fox Big Band, the John Daversa Big Band, the Generation Gap Jazz Orchestra, DIVA Jazz Orchestra, and NYO Jazz at Carnegie Hall, where she toured Europe and Asia with Sean Jones, Dianne Reeves, and Kurt Elling. As a composer, she is recognized by Downbeat, the American Composer’s Forum, and is published with Brava Jazz, and Anchor Music. In 2024, she debuted her folk/jazz/chamber group joygarden, and had her concert band piece Midwest Clinic premiere. In 2025 she was commissioned by Carnegie Hall as an arranger for NYO Jazz, and conducted the premiere at Carnegie, and on tour in Latin America. After graduating from University of Miami’s Frost School of Music, Janelle moved to Chicago, where she is grateful to share joy with people through playing, writing, and teaching music!For this performance joined by guitarist Alvin Santner, enjoy a blend between original songwriting and Brazilian folk music.

Host or Publisher Uncommon Ground