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VERSED is a monthly podcast illuminating the heart and soul of music. Featuring in-depth interviews with songwriters and composers, plus tips and insights to help you navigate your music career. Brought to you by ASCAP, home of the world's greatest music creators.

Award-winning jazz pianist, composer and bandleader Jahari Stampley was born in Chicago and started playing piano at age 14. Within two years of exploring his instrument, he started winning competitions. By the age of 18, he was recognized and followed by such world-renowned musicians as Yebba Smith, Jill Scott, Robert Glasper, Jacob Collier and others. In 2023, Jahari won first place in the Herbie Hancock Institute International Competition, was named Chicagoan of the Year in Jazz, became the first non-classical musician to receive the Chicago Youth Symphony Alumni Award, and was awarded the 2023 LuminArts Fellowship for his debut album Still Listening. That album, by the way, rose to #1 on Apple iTunes in the first weeks of its release.

In May of this year, Jahari released the single “To Be Alive” from his second album, What a Time, set to be released in the US in September. Also this year, Jahari was presented with an ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award and was selected to perform at DC JazzFest as part of the Foundation’s partnership with the festival.

As he geared up to take the DC JazzFest Transit Stage on August 30 with his Jahari Stampley Family Band, featuring his mother, the Grammy-nominated multi-instrumentalist D-Erania Stampley, and some special guests, he shared what brought him to this moment in his career, what he has learned on his journey so far, and what he hopes to achieve with his music.

Also in this episode are excerpts from ASCAP’s Etan Rosenbloom’s interview with songwriter, producer, multi-instrumentalist and Laufey collaborator Spencer Stewart about how jazz has impacted the way he makes music.

EP. 44 FEATURED INTERVIEWEE: JAHARI STAMPLEY

Jahari Stampley is a Chicago-born pianist who began playing the piano at the age of 14. Within two years of exploring the instrument, he began winning various competitions including Best High School Jazz Soloist Award and the National YoungArts Competition. By the age of 18 years old, he was recognized and followed by many world-renowned musicians including Yebba Smith, Jill Scott, Robert Glasper, Cory Henry, Jacob Collier, Stanley Clarke and Derrick Hodge, among others. Jahari has toured with Stanley Clarke and is featured on Derrick Hodge’s Color of Noise album. 

Jahari has performed in venues such as Radio City Music Hall in NYC, The Met Philadelphia, Byline Bank Aragon in Chicago, Carnegie Hall in NY, San Francisco Jazz Center, and MANY others. He’s also headlined & performed solo piano tours in Berlin, Koethen & Magdeburg, Germany, Geneva, Switzerland, and Los Angeles, California. He’s conducted music workshops in Santa Ana, Costa Rica, and taught masterclasses in Spokane, Washington. Jahari is also the band leader & featured pianist playing the part of Bill Wither’s keyboardist in the feature film Spinning Gold. Many of Jahari’s performances have garnered praise in various media outlets, articles & magazines throughout the world. 

Jahari won first place in the 2023 Herbie Hancock Institute International Competition, was named 2023 Chicagoan of the Year in Jazz, and earned the 2023 Chicago Youth Symphony Alumni Award, the first non-classical musician to receive the honor; he was also awarded the 2023 Luminarts Fellowship for his debut album Still Listening. Earlier in his life Jahari won the Bösendorfer prize for the international 2019 American Jazz Pianists Association Competition (for ages 18-25) and the 2018 ASCAP Foundation Fran Morgenstern Davis Scholarship; he was also named the National Young Arts Foundation 2018 Young Arts Winner. 

Alongside all of this, Jahari released his debut album entitled Still Listening, which rose to #1 on Apple iTunes in the first weeks of the album’s release. The music on Still Listening has also been set in an orchestral arrangement for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Jahari also designed and wrote the music for a music education mobile game, Piano Chronicles. It is available as a mobile app for all mobile devices on Google Play Store and the Apple Store. 

In May of 2025 Jahari released his single “To Be Alive” from his second album What a Time, which is set to be released in Asia in July 2025 and in the US in September 2025.

+ Visit Jahari Stampley online: https://www.jaharistampley.com

+ Listen to “To Be Alive (Solo Piano)” from Jahari Stampley’s forthcoming album, What a Time, on Spotify