| Soul Jazz |
What Liz Wright shares with our friend Candice Ivory is nothing other than authenticity, an album that royally opens with the song that gives its name to the album, and voila! A collaboration with the excellent Angelique Kidjo, it’s “Sparrow” … So, let’s recount a bit of the history of this artist, Liz Wright at the age of 22, Wright first made a name for herself nationally as a singer on a tribute tour to Billie Holiday. At 23, she signed with Verve Records for the release in 2003 of her first album, Salt, which peaked at the top of Billboard’s contemporary jazz charts. She then recorded for Universal Music Group and released the albums Dreaming Wide Awake (2005), The Orchard (2008), and Fellowship (2010). At Concord, Wright released Freedom & Surrender (2016) – featuring the single “Lean In,” which was included on President Obama’s summer 2016 playlist – and Grace (2017). On this new album, Shadow, Wright collaborates with renowned engineer Ryan Freeland (Bonnie Raitt). Shadow features acclaimed artists Angelique Kidjo and Meshell Ndegeocello. An album with an acoustic background featuring remarkable artists: Kenny Banks Sr. – B3, Rashaan Carter – upright bass, Deantoni Parks – drums, Melissa Bach – cello, Katherine Hughes – violin, Jeff Yang – viola, Elizabeth Brathwaite – violin. An album as airy as it is deep, which makes room for beautiful lyrics served skillfully and accurately by this great performer, and I am not the only one to think so since The New York Times presents Liz Wright as “a dark, soft alto, possessing qualities you might associate with aged bourbon or soft leather like butter”, acclaimed singer and songwriter Lizz Wright sings with majestic reflection on America’s cultural fabric. Wright is one of the great modern American singers with a illustrious 20-year career transcending social divides with her offering of love and deep humanity. Not content with being this wonderful artist who flies from success to success, Liz Wright has launched her own independent record label, Blues & Greens Records, with the release in June 2022 of Holding Space, a brilliant live album (produced by Christian Ulbrich) capturing a concert in Berlin, Germany, in 2018; as well as a companion short film, Holding Space, produced by Monica Haslip and Lynne Earls. Her innovative label approach is designed with a business model where artists are positioned to build healthy careers. After 20 years of contracts with major labels, Wright now owns her master recordings for the first time in her career. Blues & Greens Records creates a healthy ecosystem for Wright with sound and sustainable business practices at the forefront.
And it’s yet another album that will be difficult to classify, deeply rooted in the history of American black music, everyone will find sincere inspirations that they can compare with their knowledge, of course we are often close to the blues without completely falling into it, but also folk music, jazz, and what have you, being a producer myself, I attach great importance to the treatment of the voice, here a beautiful balance between the fragility of the voice and the instruments, it’s the kind of album that is carefully thought out, refined, requires long reflection, where nothing is left to chance, and in the end it makes a great studio album of absolute beauty and class, definitely acoustic instruments remain the best option for such voices, those that have a style, a character, you will certainly succumb to her interpretation of “I Concentrate on You”, so often interpreted by just about everyone, here the authenticity of the interpretation reveals the magic of Liz.
Liz Wright draws her inspiration from her upbringing in South Georgia where she was the musical director of a small church where her father was the pastor. Call and response singing with the church congregation was her first musical experience. Soon, she would traverse the Great American Songbook on her way to becoming an internationally cherished treasure.
For fans of beautiful voices and beautiful achievements, on April 4th, you know what you have to do…
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, March 22nd 2024
::::::::::::::::::::::
LIZZ WRIGHT – SHADOW
performer & composer credits
SPARROW (feat. Angelique Kidjo)
(Lizz Wright – Christopher A Bruce – Justin Michael Hooks – Morley Shanti Kamen – Carmen Angelique Kidjo – Ben Zwerin)
Lizz Wright – vocals
Angelique Kidjo – guest vocalist
Adam Levy – electric & acoustic guitars
Chris Bruce – electric & acoustic guitars, rhodes, electronic percussion
Rashaan Carter – upright bass
Deantoni Parks – acoustic and electronic drums
Abe Rounds – percussion
Trina Basu – violin
Arun Ramamurthy – Carnatic violin
Published by Wisdom Street Music (ASCAP) / Herb’s Lounge Music (ASCAP) / Oneism Music (ASCAP) / Ayeile Music Inc. (ASCAP) / Zwerin Music (ASCAP)
YOUR LOVE (feat. Meshell Ndegeocello & Brandee Younger)
(Lizz Wright – Christopher A Bruce – Matthew John Cusson – Jack Louis Deboe – Meshell Ndegeocello)
Lizz Wright – vocals
Meshell Ndegeocello – bass
Brandee Younger – harp
Adam Levy – electric guitar
Chris Bruce – electric guitar
Deantoni Parks – acoustic & electronic drums
Glenn Patscha – rhodes, B3
Abe Rounds – percussion
Published by Wisdom Street Music (ASCAP) / Herb’s Lounge Music (ASCAP) / 23 Jump Shots (ASCAP) / Foondi Face (ASCAP) / Revolutionary Jazz Giant (BMI)
ROOT OF MERCY
(Lizz Wright – Christopher A Bruce – Lynn Michelle Earls – Justin Michael Hooks)
Lizz Wright – vocals, voice loops
Lynne Earls – wurlitzer, baritone acoustic guitar, hand percussion
Adam Levy – electric guitar
Chris Bruce – electric guitar, additional keyboards
Deantoni Parks – acoustic and electronic drums
Rashaan Carter – upright bass
Published by Wisdom Street Music (ASCAP) / Herb’s Lounge Music (ASCAP) / Sense Of Sound (ASCAP) / Oneism Music (ASCAP)
SWEET FEELING
(Clarence George Carter – Marcus Lewis Daniel – Rick Hall – Canzetta Staton Sussewell)
Lizz Wright – vocals
Adam Levy – electric guitar, solo
Chris Bruce – acoustic guitar, percussion
Rashaan Carter – upright bass
Deantoni Parks – drums
Kenny Banks Sr. – piano, B3
Published by Screen Gems-EMI Music Inc. (BMI)
THIS WAY
(Lizz Wright – Christopher A Bruce – Ben Zwerin)
Lizz Wright – vocals
Adam Levy – electric guitar
Chris Bruce – acoustic guitar
Rashaan Carter – upright bass
Deantoni Parks – acoustic & electronic drums
Glenn Patscha – piano, B3
Published by Wisdom Street Music (ASCAP) / Herb’s Lounge Music (ASCAP) / Zwerin Music (ASCAP)
LOST IN THE VALLEY (feat. Trina Basu & Arun Ramamurthy)
(Caitlin Canty)
Lizz Wright – vocals
Trina Basu – violin
Arun Ramamurthy – Carnatic violin, solo
Adam Levy – acoustic guitar
Chris Bruce – acoustic guitar, programming
Rashaan Carter – upright bass
Deantoni Parks – acoustic & electronic drums
Glenn Patscha – piano, B3, pump organ
Abe Rounds – percussion
Published by Quiet Flame Publishing (ASCAP)
I CONCENTRATE ON YOU
(Cole Porter)
Lizz Wright – vocals
Adam Levy – arrangement, acoustic guitar
Deantoni Parks – electronic drums
Hanna Benn – string arrangement
Melissa Bach – cello
Katherine Hughes – violin
Jeff Yang – viola
Elizabeth Brathwaite – violin
Published by Chappell Co Inc. (ASCAP)
CIRCLING
(Lizz Wright – Christopher A Bruce – Lynn Michelle Earls – Justin Michael Hooks – Toshi Reagon)
Lizz Wright – vocals
Adam Levy – electric guitar
Chris Bruce – acoustic & electric guitars, bass, percussion
Deantoni Parks – drums
Glenn Patscha – rhodes, B3
Published by Wisdom Street Music (ASCAP) / Herb’s Lounge Music (ASCAP) / Sense Of Sound (ASCAP) / Oneism Music (ASCAP) / Black Elephant Music (BMI)
NO MORE WILL I RUN
(Toshi Reagon)
Lizz Wright – vocals
Adam Levy – acoustic guitar
Chris Bruce – acoustic guitar, rhodes
Kenny Banks Sr. – B3
Rashaan Carter – upright bass
Deantoni Parks – drums
Abe Rounds – percussion
Published by Black Elephant Music (BMI)
WHO KNOWS WHERE THE TIME GOES
(Sandy Denny)
Lizz Wright – vocals
Adam Levy – electric guitar
Chris Bruce – acoustic guitar
Rashaan Carter – upright bass
Deantoni Parks – drums
Kenny Banks Sr. – piano
Published by Irving Music (BMI)
I MADE A LOVERS PRAYER
(Gillian Howard Welch – David Todd Rawlings)
Lizz Wright – vocals
Hanna Benn – string arrangement
Adam Levy – acoustic guitar
Chris Bruce – acoustic guitar, percussion
Kenny Banks Sr. – B3
Rashaan Carter – upright bass
Deantoni Parks – drums
Melissa Bach – cello
Katherine Hughes – violin
Jeff Yang – viola
Elizabeth Brathwaite – violin
Published by Say Uncle Music (BMI) / Cracklin Music (BMI) / Irving Music (BMI)
Publishing for Wisdom Street Music administered by PEN Music Group, Inc.