Upcoming jazz and R&B artist Aybie Drori is dropping her debut album this year, and it is not one to miss. Blending indie, jazz, and experimental pop, Aybie’s music is unabashedly emotional and raw, resonating with audiences who crave depth and storytelling in their music. Her music reflects on personal moments of loss and reflection, while celebrating the beauty of being present.
Aybie herself is a one-woman creative force, not only an indie musician based in New York City but also an independent producer. She has managed every part of the creation and production of her album herself, bringing her genre-blending music to listeners with soul, skill, and radical authenticity.
More than a Passion, a Connection with the Past
“Music was always more than a passion for me—it was a way of existing,” Aybie shares. “I grew up surrounded by sound, and from a young age, I felt a deep need not just to play music, but to create it. The trumpet became my voice, and songwriting became my way of telling my feelings I couldn’t express any other way.”
Aybie grew up with a rich musical heritage; her grandfather was a jazz singer, and jazz was the ambient background sound of her home. Aybie grew up listening to the voices of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, John Coltrane, and Frank Sinatra. “Those voices shaped my earliest memories and made music feel like something alive and human,” she recalls.
She knew from age five that she wanted to play the trumpet. After being told to wait until fourth grade, she began with the piano and the violin. “Still, the trumpet stayed in my heart,” Aybie says. “A year before I finally got to play it, my grandfather passed away. That timing has always felt like a quiet heartbreak—just missing the chance to share music with him.”
That early loss has shaped Aybie’s music, with its plaintive jazz-inspired strains and its focus on storytelling. Aybie used to imagine sitting with her grandfather, playing her trumpet for him, and getting his advice and tips. “Even though we never got that moment, I carry him with me every time I perform. I often imagine him in the audience, listening with a smile. In many ways, every note I play is for him. He’s the reason I started, and his spirit is in everything I do.”
Crafting a Sound That’s Entirely Her Own
Graduating from Berklee College of Music, Aybie has been defining herself as a multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriter. Her music blends alternative pop, indie, jazz, R&B, and cinematic soul into a raw, genre-fluid sound that refuses to be boxed in. “I’m not afraid to sound different,” Aybie remarks, “because that difference is my strength.”
While her college education in jazz has given her the chops to create this sound, she also brings from her family roots an innate confidence in herself and a do-it-yourself ethos. After all, when she sits down at the piano or lifts her trumpet, it is her grandfather she is out to impress and his memory she is there to honor, not any producer or record label.
Nor is any producer involved. Aybie has maintained her artistic independence, with creative control over her music and over the entire process of preparing it for listeners. Her debut album is self-written, self-performed, and self-produced. Both jazz and music production are spaces largely dominated by male talents, but Aybie is carving her own path forward with both grace and grit.
Empowerment Through Music and Mentorship
“Early on,” Aybie shares, “I often felt underestimated or overlooked, particularly when I was the only woman in the room. It pushed me to work harder, not just to prove myself, but to own my voice fully. The way I’ve overcome these obstacles is by building confidence through action, trusting my instincts, and surrounding myself with mentors and collaborators who see me for who I really am, not just for one label or skill.”
Aybie hopes to serve as such a mentor herself, passing on to others the inspiration and empowerment that her grandfather bequeathed to her. She hopes her passion and persistence will inspire voices who are often marginalized in this industry, and that she will be able to use her platform to amplify more diverse musical talent.
There is a fierce undercurrent in Aybie’s album and in her life. “I didn’t wait for someone to discover me or hand me an opportunity,” she says. “I built my own sound, wrote my own songs, and produced my own recordings. That’s how I turned my passion into my path.”If you would like to hear Aybie Drori’s unique sound, check out her Instagram and TikTok and watch for her forthcoming album.
Written in partnership with Tom White
