Sounds of April & Randall is an award-winning, BILLBOARD-charting jazz ensemble led by vocalist April May Webb, winner of the 2024 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, and trumpeter Randall Haywood, voted “Male Rising Star” at the Hot House & Jazzmobile NYC Reader’s Jazz Award. Named “Best Jazz Group” at the New York City Reader’s Jazz Awards, April and Randall have forged a unique sound that blends jazz with Country, R&B, and Gospel influences. Partners in both music and life they have come together to create a deeply personal and innovative musical experience.
April May and Randall first crossed paths at Moore’s Lounge, a jazz club in New Jersey. Both took the stage at a jam session, and without even knowing each other, their musical chemistry was instant. Their union has since developed into a sincere and hopeful sound rooted in jazz, with a wide-ranging appeal that incorporates diverse musical elements.
Both studied music on the East Coast. April May earned her bachelor’s degree from William Paterson University, where she studied under the late Mulgrew Miller, making history as the first Black woman to graduate from its Jazz Education program. Randall earned his Master’s degree from The Juilliard School in New York City.
In 2023, Sounds of April & Randall was appointed United States Cultural Ambassadors as part of the American Music Abroad program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State and funded by the U.S. government. As ambassadors, they toured Fiji and Tonga, performing and presenting educational workshops at performing arts centers, universities, schools, and colleges.
Their 2025 original composition “Everybody Ain’t Gonna Like You” won Gold in the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest’s vocal jazz-blues category. In 2023, they achieved significant recognition, receiving two prestigious national grants: the Chamber Music America Performance Plus Grant and the South Arts Spring Jazz Road Touring Grant. Their 2015 single “Horizon” peaked at #17 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Charts, while their self-titled debut album made the Jazz Week Top 15 Chart and landed on Jazz Week’s Top 100 albums of 2017. That same year, S.O.A.R. began touring extensively with jazz legend Thelonious Sphere Monk III (T.S. Monk), with Randall serving as musical director of The T.S. Monk Band.
In 2021, Sounds of April & Randall released their third studio album, Questions Left Unanswered, a collection of original compositions and reimagined classics that speak to their musical journeys and life experiences. The album peaked at #12 on the National Jazz Week Charts and landed on Jazz Week’s Top 50 Jazz Albums for 2021. Their thought-provoking music videos have also received recognition— “The Skin I’m In” won “Best Message Video” at the 38th Annual Songwriters’ Association Competition in 2022, and “Moments When I Was a Kid” won “Best Music Video” at the 2021 River Film Festival.
Individually, Randall was the youngest musician to join the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra at 15, and he was also a featured trumpeter in the Peabody Award-winning PBS program Marsalis on Music. April May made history as the first Black woman to graduate from William Paterson University’s Jazz Education program.
The success of Sounds of April & Randall is a direct reflection of their love for music and commitment to storytelling. Drawing inspiration from their deep connection, they craft beautifully composed works with fresh, innovative arrangements that, quite literally, S.O.A.R.
