Lizz Wright Cuts New Musical Path on 'Dreaming'
On her new CD, Lizz Wright adopts a stripped down, folksy sound, moving from piano to the acoustic guitar. hide caption
Wright Talks About Why She Decided to Step Away from Jazz
Music from Wright's New CD
Hear three full-length songs from Dreaming Wide Awake:
'Hit the Ground'
'Wake Up, Little Sparrow'
'Get Together'
With her 2003 debut album, Salt, singer Lizz Wright established herself as one of the brightest newcomers in jazz. Wright shifts course on her follow-up CD, Dreaming Wide Awake, adopting a folksy singer-songwriter sound.
The daughter of a minister in the Holiness Church, Wright grew up traveling with her family to small churches throughout the South, singing from the pulpit wherever they went. Perhaps that's why Wright seemed so comfortable on stage when she made her debut two years ago as an unknown artist who brought audiences to their feet during a series of Billie Holiday tributes.
But the 25-year-old singer says she never really saw herself as a jazz artist. Her new CD, she says, is more reflective of her personal tastes in music. She speaks with NPR's Michele Norris about her new sound.