'JazzTok' Influencers Keep Genre Alive

Edward Preble behind the scenes on The Voice. (Photo: Instagram/@therealedwardpreble)

If you close your eyes and listen to Edward Preble, his vocals turn back the clock. That’s why Preble is not only turning heads with his throwback crooning abilities – he is also turning chairs on a national stage.

The 20-year-old singing phenomenon and influencer from Fernandina Beach, Florida, debuted on the 26th season of “The Voice” on October 7. Preble is an old soul whose voice demonstrates his passion for the “Great American Songbook,” a collection of the most influential jazz music of the 20th century. TikTok is a major platform for influencers making their content on what they call “JazzTok.”

Preble has made a name for himself on “JazzTok,” accumulating over 56,000 followers. After majoring in music performance in his freshman year at Hofstra University in 2024, Preble left to compete on NBC’s “The Voice,” which grew his following.

Preble, dressed in his usual vintage suit, sang Frank Sinatra’s 1963 track, “Luck Be a Lady,” and his voice almost immediately turned the chairs of the judges. The iconic rapper Snoop Dogg slammed his chair button first (with an indication of interest and acknowledgment of talent), followed later by famous artist and jazz lover, Michael Bublé. NBC’s TikTok post of Preble’s audition received 7.4 million views and over 674,000 likes.

“When I went up there, I was nervous. Everyone’s nervous, you’re always going to be nervous,” Preble said. “At the same time, I said to myself, ‘Just go up there, give a great performance, who cares what happens?’ Within the first second, Snoop Dogg turned his chair and I was like, ‘Okay, never mind, just go.’”

Before singing on “The Voice,” Preble was not shy to perform as a child in the house in front of family and friends, and sometimes in public.

“He’s done Christmas performances at his grandparents’ house. He usually does a song or two just among us,” said Paola Preble, Edward’s mother. “I have video of him doing the Michael Jackson moonwalk in front of the hotel on New Year’s Eve, and there were just people turning their attention to him.”

In his time as a college student, Preble played over 100 gigs on Long Island and in New York City. One of the gigs was at Velma Restaurant in Ridgewood, Queens, where Preble skipped class to perform. His good friend, Justin Koehnlein, was his manager and security guard and helped Preble at his gigs by setting up equipment, collecting payments, and producing content for Preble’s social media.

“I love how the magic of Edward Preble would get people excited,” Koehnlein said. “He did a Barbie party for a girl’s birthday, so we walked in through the back because it was a surprise. [When] we walked out, you would've thought this girl had just seen Elvis reincarnated right in front of her. She screamed and jumped up and down.”

Preble is continuing to do covers on his page after the season of “The Voice” ended, and he mentioned he’s open to making original songs as well.

Daniel Murray busks on the streets of Old Town, Alexandria. (Photo: Instagram/@dan_man472)

Daniel Murray, 26, is another main figure on “JazzTok.” His content consists of him busking in the streets of Old Town, Alexandria. He’s grown over 91,000 followers with millions of likes. For the past nine years, Murray has worked on cars for a living until recently, when he turned into a full-time musical artist. 

His grandfather was an opera singer, his grandmother was a pianist, and his father was in the marine band. Murray credits them for introducing him to jazz. With the music constantly on his mind growing up, his voice naturally evolved.

“I used to be grooving in the shower,” Murray said. “I just started trying my best to sound like Dean [Martin] or Frank or any of those guys. Now, over time, I’ve been discovering my own sound.”

Murray said he knew he always had a good voice, but never acted on it. He considered music to be “his dad’s thing” and that it wasn’t for him. His mindset changed on Thanksgiving in 2022 when he went to a karaoke bar with family and sang “Fly Me To The Moon.” The bar exploded in applause, and his fiancée’s family was shocked. Nearly a year later, the family begged him to sing at a relative’s wedding. After his performance, the wedding photographer asked Murray if he’d like to perform at more weddings, and he realized he could make music a source of income.

His street-busking, which was his fiancée’s idea, attracted so many eyes, in person and online, that it led to “a major dream coming true.” In December 2024, Murray was invited to sing live on ABC7’s Good Morning Washington, where he covered Tony Bennett's “I Left My Heart In San Francisco.” 

“Tony Bennett is probably my biggest inspiration. I remember going through videos of him singing on The Ed Sullivan Show and just crushing it. I remember just manifesting and daydreaming of all these things, and sure enough, the opportunity came.”

Murray enjoys doing covers but also wants to bring new music to the genre. In April, he debuted his first original song, "A Very Pretty Spring.” He would like to see other creators do the same for the community.

“I think it’s a great thing. The more exposure, the better for everybody. It grows the genre.”