Lizz Wright Dreaming Wide Awake

Through an inimitable voice that the New York Times touts as, “a smooth, dark alto possessed of qualities you might associate with barrel-aged bourbon or butter-soft leather,” acclaimed vocalist and songwriter Lizz Wright sings with a soaring reflection of the cultural fabric of America. Wright is one of the great modern American singers with an illustrious 20-year career transcending social divides with her focus on love and a deep sense of humanity.

A few years after the release of her fourth album with Verve, a gospel-themed set of reinterpretations titled Fellowship, Lizz Wright signed to the Concord label with an eye toward concentrating on original material. The vocalist made a connection with veteran multi-instrumentalist and producer Larry Klein and recorded Freedom & Surrender with a stable backing band that included drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, percussionist Pete Korpela, bassist Dan Lutz, guitarist Dean Parks, and keyboardists Pete Kuzma and Billy Childs. For most listeners, the change of label and mostly new set of supporting musicians will seem transparent. Like Wright's previous albums, Freedom & Surrender is graceful and exacting, yet those qualities come across in a fashion that does not seem deliberate – remarkable for material that draws from folk, blues, jazz, soul, and gospel and often fuses two or more of those genres. Longtime collaborator Toshi Reagon contributes only two songs, "Freedom" and "Surrender," but they neatly begin and end the album in spirited and assured form. David Batteau and Jesse Harris separately collaborated with Wright and sometimes Klein on the writing of seven selections.

Vocalist Lizz Wright delivers jazz that harks back to such luminaries as Nina Simone and Abbey Lincoln on her debut Verve release, Salt. Still in her early twenties, Wright has a warm, dusky voice reminiscent of Cassandra Wilson and similarly to Wilson seems interested in tackling an eclectic mix of jazz standards, traditional folk, and R&B. Early on, a folky afterglow-Latin version of "Afro Blue" takes center stage followed by the gorgeous "Soon as I Get Home," which betters the version from The Wiz.

On Grace, lauded American singer Lizz Wright summons her Southern heritage and the spirit of the earth to usher us into a nurturing space. Produced by acclaimed singer and songwriter Joe Henry, Grace is a stark reflection of Wright's sense of place and belonging that's deeply woven into the cultural fabric of America. Lizz offers one original, written for this record, plus inspiring interpretations of songs from Ray Charles, Bob Dylan & more.

On Grace, lauded American singer Lizz Wright summons her Southern heritage and the spirit of the earth to usher us into a nurturing space. Produced by acclaimed singer and songwriter Joe Henry, Grace is a stark reflection of Wright's sense of place and belonging that's deeply woven into the cultural fabric of America. Lizz offers one original, written for this record, plus inspiring interpretations of songs from Ray Charles, Bob Dylan & more.