Aval Stanley

Ella Grace: Figments

by Katchie Cartwright
March 20, 2026

Raised in the icy Minneapolis-St. Paul area, trumpeter and composer Ella Grace studied with longtime Prince band member Steve Strand before moving to Chicago to attend DePaul University, from which she graduated summa cum laude in 2025. Supported by a Chicago Music Scene Fellowship, Figments, her debut as a leader, is a testament to the warm reception she has been receiving in her new home. The album finds her in good company among an assemblage of up-and-coming Windy City peers ...