VILNIUS MAMA JAZZ 2025 | BILAL (IS)
Bilal, US
Conley „Tone“ Whitfield – b
Randy Runyon – g
Joseph Grissett aka Joe Blaxx – dr
Bilal – lead vocals
Talented, unpredictable, experimenting, surprising, daring, faithful to his own path, and revered by colleagues and listeners alike. That is all about this year’s Vilnius Mama Jazz guest, the American singer, Bilal, whose name gives thrills to jazz, R&B, soul, and hip-hop fans.
This is one-of-a-kind stories in the music world. Bilal’s name is well-known, although his relationship with the music business heavyweights has always been complicated. He has recorded a cult album with hip-hop greats that has not even been officially released, yet still got a lot of attention. Instead of the glitzy world of pop music, Bilal prefers jazz clubs and alternative sounds – proving that trusting your creative instincts always pays off.
Today, Bilal is an independent and successful artist, with a bio that includes collaborations with some of the biggest stars in music, including Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Jay-Z, Robert Glasper, Kimbra, Erykah Badu, Common, and The Roots.
Bilal has won the prestigious Grammy trophy (and three other Grammy nominations), and has appeared in numerous concerts and witnessed spectacular music events.
Jazz, soul, psychedelic music, Afrofuturism, alternative R&B, even rock and classical music – it may seem hardly believable, but Bilal Sayeed Oliver (the artist’s full name) has worked across all these genres (and more).
With a wide vocal range, Bilal is able to juggle different genres in a way that is breathtaking to his audiences and fellow artists alike. Philip Bailey, the lead singer of the legendary Earth, Wind & Fire, has said: “Bilal is one of those singers who uses his voice like an instrument.”
It all started at a young age. At 11, Bilal was already leading a church choir, and at 14 he formed his first band and started performing in a Philadelphia jazz café.
After leaving school, he moved to New York to study opera and jazz composition. It is said that on his first day there, he met Robert Glasper, a musician who was also a guest at Vilnius Mama Jazz, and teamed up with him.
The young singer quickly became a fixture in New York’s jazz clubs and began performing with the now legendary Soulquarians. The band formed at the turn of the millennium and its collaborators included some of the most prominent jazz, R&B, rap and soul artists – D’Angelo, J. Dilla, Mos Def, the Roots’ Questlove, Talib Kweli, Erykah Badu, Roy Hargrove, Common and others.
Bilal was spotted by Aaron Comess of the rock band Spin Doctors and invited to sign with Interscope. Bilal’s debut album 1st Born Second was released under this label in 2001 to both commercial success and critical acclaim.
The album’s song “Soul Sista” became a hit. Bilal’s further creative phase, however, brought some challenges. The singer teamed up with renowned rap producers, Dr. Dre and J. Dilla, to record Love For Sale. The album went through many transformations and was eventually rejected by the record label as having no commercial potential.
The album featuring surprising experiments and a stunning fusion of genres, remains officially unreleased, but was leaked online and is considered by fans and critics as a true Bilal’s masterpiece.
The singer soon garnered a following, reminding us that true talent will always find its way, no matter the obstacles.
Often attributed to the neo-soul genre, Bilal rejects this categorisation. The music of several of his successful albums is simply too diverse and enchanting to be limited to one style.
In 2016, the singer won his first Grammy for “These Walls”, featuring rap visionary Kendrick Lamar on Lamar’s iconic album To Pimp a Butterfly.
Bilal’s biography is full of such musical collaborations. For example, during the pandemic, he recorded the experimental mini-album Voyage-19, composing songs remotely with a group of musicians over a period of a few days. All proceeds from sales were shared among participating artists, who faced financial uncertainty due to the suspension of performances.
In December 2023, Bilal performed before just 100 fans in a Brooklyn studio teaming up with Robert Glasper, Questlove, Common and Burniss Travis. The recording was later released as a concert album, once again reminding listeners of the status and talent of the musician able to attract such partners.
You will finally have an opportunity to enjoy the talent live in Lithuania for the first time. The performance will feature songs from Bilal’s sixth album Adjust Brightness released last autumn.
Today, Bilal divides his time between homes in the US and Morocco, and spends his time composing music, performing and painting. He has never been a hostage of the entertainment industry games, has retained his uniqueness, and is always ready to amaze. This exposed musical nerve is also a true diamond of the Vilnius Mama Jazz festival programme.
