With equal parts raw feeling and smooth elegance, Jalen Ngonda is one of the most exciting names on the music scene today, and a vocalist who mixes classic and modern soul into something very special. At 28, his resumé is more like that of a seasoned veteran: He has performed at New York City's Summer Stage Festival, North Sea Jazz, Newport Folk Festival and opened for Laura Mvula and Lauryn Hill at the Montreal Jazz Festival. He also recently performed his new single "Illusions" with the BBC Concert Orchestra in prime time. With a register that would have made Marvin Gaye envious, and an otherworldly talent for songwriting, a concert with Jalen Ngonda is both enthralling and life-enriching. The debut album "Come Around and Love Me" was released last year on Daptone Records, the label that also housed, among others, Charles Bradley and Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings.