Emma-Jean Thackray

Emma-Jean Thackray (born c. 1989) is an English jazz musician, producer, bandleader, and DJ. She was born and brought up in Leeds, West Yorkshire, and is now based in south London.

Early life
Thackray played the cornet in local brass bands in Yorkshire. She studied jazz performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama under British jazz pianist and composer Keith Tippett. After her studies at the college, she took a Masters in orchestral jazz composition at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance under composers Issie Barratt and Errollyn Wallen.

Music career
In 2020 Thackray started her own record label, called Movementt, as an outlet for her own music. The label's first release was her solo EP Rain Dance, followed by reissues of her 2016 EP Walrus and 2018 EP Ley Lines. In June 2021, shortly after appearing on Jools Holland's BBC Two show Later… With Jools Holland, she was signed by Warner Chappell Music.

In July 2021, Thackray released Yellow, her debut album, on her own Movementt record label. The chosen label name reflects her motto: “move the body, move the mind, move the soul". The album reached No. 1 in the UK Jazz Albums Chart, and No. 3 in the UK Independent Albums Chart.

Personal life
Emma-Jean is a Taoist, and regularly releases music inspired by her practice.