Seven-time GRAMMY nominee and celebrated jazz vocalist Nnenna Freelon recently sat down with Urban Magazine to discuss her deeply personal new book, Beneath the Skin of Sorrow.

“Jazz legend Nnenna Freelon discusses her book, “Beneath the Skin of Sorrow,” in which she employs a musical structure to process grief following the passing of her sister and husband, architect Phil Freelon.”

In the interview, Freelon shares how the book emerged unexpectedly in the wake of profound loss — the passing of her husband, renowned architect Phil Freelon, in 2019, followed just months later by the death of her sister. The isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic deepened her solitude, and writing became a lifeline.

Drawing on her lifelong relationship with jazz, she structured the book like a four-movement suite, each named after a jazz standard that reflects a different stage of her journey:

• Round Midnight — the darkness and disorientation of early grief
• Stolen Moments — adjusting to life as a widow
• A Love Supreme — moments of transcendence and spiritual connection
• Time Traveler — reflection and the weaving together of memory and present

Freelon describes how jazz’s balance of structure and improvisation mirrors the grieving process — nonlinear, unpredictable, yet capable of producing moments of beauty. The book blends poems, personal stories, and even recipes, honoring the way memory surfaces in fragments, melodies, and sensory details.

She speaks movingly of her marriage to Phil Freelon, their 40 years together, and the “full-size hole” his absence has left in her heart. Yet she also emphasizes the gratitude she feels for their life together, and the creative resilience that allowed her to transform loss into art.

The full conversation offers even more insight into her creative process, her philosophy on grief, and her reflections on love and legacy. It’s available exclusively to Urban Magazine subscribers.

Subscribe to Urban Magazine to read the complete interview and explore more inspiring stories.

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We’re excited to share that our team will be attending both the MAX and IEBA conferences this year. If you’ll be there too, we’d love to connect in person.

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Let’s talk about music, creativity, and future collaborations — see you there!