Many artists have claimed to merge jazz with hip-hop and R&B, but most often this music ends up being little more than an MC rapping over a drum machine layered with sampled acoustic bass and horn lines (think Us3’s “Cantaloop”, or “Rebirth of Slick” by Digable Planets). While these efforts maintain the solid groove of hip-hop, they ignore the improvisational elements and harmonic sophistication that is the essence of jazz. However, there seems to be a small group of artists emerging who are attempting this fusion while staying true to both traditions. Among them are the District’s own Motel, as well as trombonist Sarah Morrow (pictured), who is performing tonight at the Kennedy Center‘s KC Jazz Club.

“This record is very personal to me,” Morrow said, speaking of her album, Elektric Air, which will be released in the fall. “It’s something that I spent a lot of years developing and it’s combining jazz with urban elements, but it’s still jazz.”

Morrow, a native of Ohio, got her big break playing with the great Ray Charles in the mid-1990s. That gig led to stints with former Miles Davis collaborator Foley, jazz vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, and others. These tours gave Morrow exposure in Europe, which in turn lead to her signing with RDC Records, a French label. One requirement of her contract was that she relocate to France, a move that proved fortuitous.

“Just by chance, I also happened to be in love with someone in Paris,” Morrow admitted laughingly.