Meet Jacob Khalil, singer, songwriter, and jazz pianist

Jacob Khalil has a voice that soothes the soul.

It’s a combination of classical training, crooning, riffs, runs and raw emotion.

Music has been a part of Jacob’s life for as long as he can remember.

The 30-year-old singer, songwriter and jazz pianist was born and raised in Houston.

He started writing songs at a young age.

Soon enough, the Texas native was performing in choirs and playing trumpet in his middle school band.

"I was a kid and my mom’s a singer and she really encouraged me also to be a singer and then when I was in high school, I was really drawn to the piano. I would just play for hours and hours," Khalil said.

Jacob’s grandfather is also an entertainer.

His style and sound served as a blueprint for Jacob as he climbed the musical ladder.

"My earliest recollections of performing were performing solo in church, and he was accompanying me," Khalil explains.

Jacob spent five years at Brigham Young University in Utah, where he majored in vocal performance, honed his skills, and brushed up on technique.

However, it wasn't until Jacob came to New York in late 2020 that his career started to take flight.

"I grew up really liking musical theatre, really liking jazz. and I feel like that there’s so much available here in New York, that someone who has eclectic music tastes like me, I can pop around and do a lot of different things," Khalil said.

His first gig in the Big Apple was at Mimi’s Restaurant and Piano Bar on Second Avenue.

Just like that, the rest was history.

You can catch Jacob at Mimi’s every Thursday night where he performs everything from the classics to the crowd pleasers.

He’s filled in for Grammy-award winning composer, vocalist, and jazz pianist Billy Stritch at his weekly "Birdland" residency.

Jacob also headlines sold-out shows there several times a year with his band.

Just last year, Jacob sang alongside Sam Smith on Saturday Night Live.

He also performs regularly at venues like City Winery, The Cutting Room, Rockwood, 54 Below, and goes on tour several times a year.

When Jacob’s not out and about performing, he’s at home writing original music.

"In terms of my original music, it kind of took a lot of time to figure out what my sound was and what my artistry was. There’s a song out now, it’s called, ‘Rest of my Life,’ and it’s kind of my anthem," Khalil said.