Jacqui Naylor is a San Francisco-based jazz vocalist and songwriter renowned for her genre-blending style that fuses jazz, folk, pop, and soul. Raised in Saratoga, California, she developed an early appreciation for vintage music through her parents’ collection of antique automated instruments and jazz records . After earning a degree in marketing from San Francisco State University, she transitioned from a career in fashion marketing to pursue music full-time. Naylor studied vocal jazz with Faith Winthrop and gained performance experience as a soloist with the Sacred Heart Gospel Choir.

Since releasing her self-titled debut album in 1999, Naylor has produced a diverse discography that includes Shelter(2003), The Long Game (2021), and her latest, Treasures of the Heart (2025). She is particularly known for her “acoustic smashing” technique, which creatively combines lyrics and melodies from different songs into cohesive arrangements . Naylor has performed at esteemed venues such as the Blue Note in New York City and Yoshi’s in San Francisco, and has toured extensively across the U.S., Europe, and Asia . Her collaborations often feature her husband, pianist and arranger Art Khu, whose contributions have been integral to her innovative sound