About

Bailey Elizabeth Hinkley Grogan is a jazz vocalist, songwriter, educator, and performer based out of Denver, CO and Los Angeles, CA. Her bright, yet melancholy sound is a reflection of her deep study into the jazz idiom while simultaneously playing homage to her influences in Nancy Wilson, Chick Corea, Sheryl Crow, and Jamie Cullum. Her improvisatory style is fearless and bold, while her songwriting and lyrical delivery reflects the raw, emotional heartache and undying beauty found in her life story. Her music, which resembles the likes of Folk, R&B, and Jazz styles, is a reflection of intense experiences in her young life.

She has been singing professionally since she was 7 years old; she is trained in various genres including classical, musical theater, pop, but primarily jazz. She has performed along side many artists including Bobby Mcferrin, Kurt Elling, Kate McGarry, Ben Folds, Janis Siegel of The Manhattan Transfer, and Darmon Meador of The New York Voices. She has been involved in several ensembles including the Young Voices of Colorado, Colorado Children’s Chorale, The Grammy Award Winning Meistersingers of Cherry Creek High School, Indiana University Singing Hoosiers, Vocal Jazz Ensemble I at Indiana University (Downbeat Award Winner), and Pacific Standard Time at California State University Long Beach (Downbeat Award Winner).

While Bailey has been heavily involved in various academic credentials, she spends her free time performing with a quartet in her home town of Denver Colorado as well as the greater Los Angeles area. She is a regular performer at one of the top 100 jazz clubs in the nation, Dazzle Jazz and has also performed at the legendary Lannie’s Clocktower Caberet in Downtown Denver. She has also worked as a teaching assistant at Bloomington Expressive Arts Training and has given private voice lessons. In 2017, Bailey received her Bachelor’s in Music with an emphasis in Jazz Studies (Voice) from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music. Here she studied closely with highly decorated musicians and educators such as Dr. Steve Zegree, Dr. David Baker, Darmon Meader, Duane Davis, Wayne Wallace, Tom Walsh, Walter Smith III, Michael Spiro, Brent Wallerab and Ly Wilder. In 2017, her vocal jazz ensemble, Vocal Jazz Ensemble 1, received a Downbeat Student Music award for. Outstanding Graduate Vocal Jazz Ensemble. After graduation, Bailey immediately pursued her Masters in Music at California State University’s Bob Cole Conservatory of Music. Here she served as a graduate assistant to the esteemed Christine Guter, Jeff Jarvis, Ray Briggs, Jimmy Emerzian, and Matt Falker. She also served as section leader for the multiple Downbeat Award Winning group, Pacific Standard Time. In 2018, her vocal jazz group, Pacific Standard Time under the direction of Christine Guter, also received a Downbeat Student Music Award for Outstanding Graduate Vocal Jazz Ensemble. In 2019, she was awarded the Outstanding Creativity Award and Vocal Jazz Award from the Bob Cole Conservatory of music as well as the Distinguished Achievement in Creative Activity for her work on her graduate thesis project (see more here). She graduated in the top 10% of her class with a Master of Music with a Concentration in Jazz Studies from California State University, Long Beach in May 2019. During the COVID 19 Pandemic, Bailey attended the Frost School of Music at University of Miami where she currently serves as a teaching assistant to Dr. Kate Reid and Dr. John Daversa and working with artist Cyrille Aimee. She is in the process of receiving her Doctorate of Musical Arts in Music Studio Jazz Voice with an anticipated graduation date of May 2023. Here she does scholarly research in feminist and LGBTQIA+ studies in Jazz history and serves as a Henry Mancini Fellow at the Henry Mancini Institute directed by Maria Schneider.

Bailey currently resides in Denver, CO where she continues to perform with her quartet while pursuing horticulture and writing.