Jaylen Ward is a Drummer, composer, producer, and audio engineer with roots in South KC. During his time in College, he has been awarded the Down Beat National Award for Best Jazz Trio (2025) and Audio Engineering (2024). Throughout his career, he has performed with artists such as Logan Richardson, Tia Fuller, Harold "Spike" Bonhart of the Four Tops, Lonnie McFadden, Tivon Pennicott, Sean Jones, Isaiah Collier and the Chosen Few, Ben Vangelder, Adam Larson, Peter Schlamb, Eddie Moore, Dominique Sanders, Lynn Seaton, and many more. He performs regularly with The James Ward Band and many other artists in Kansas City, along with his own project since 2021. In 2025, Jaylen participated in two cultural exchanges in Chile and China. While in Chile, Jaylen performed at the International Festival of Jazz of Valparaiso, collaborating with several world-renowned South American musicians. In China, Jaylen performed and was a Jazz Faculty member with Bobby Watson of Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, James Ward, and Charles Williams. Jaylen toured Shanghai University, Beijing University, and Zhengzhou University.