Elizabeth LaCharla Wright (born January 22, 1980) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

and

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

singer.

Life and career

Wright was born in the small town of Hahira, Georgia, one of three children and the daughter of a minister and the musical director of their church. She started singing

gospel music Gospel music is a traditional genre of Christian music, and a cornerstone of Christian media. The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of gospel music varies according to culture and social context. Gospel music is co ...

and playing

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...

in church as a child, and also became interested in

and

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the ...

. She attended Houston County High School, where she was heavily involved in

choral singing A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...

, receiving the National Choral Award. She went on to

Georgia State University Georgia State University (Georgia State, State, or GSU) is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1913, it is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities. It is also the largest institution of hig ...

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,7 ...

to study singing. Since then she has studied at

The New School The New School is a private research university in New York City. It was founded in 1919 as The New School for Social Research with an original mission dedicated to academic freedom and intellectual inquiry and a home for progressive thinkers. ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, and in Vancouver, BC. Wright joined the Atlanta-based vocal quartet In the Spirit in 2000, and in 2002 she signed a recording contract with

Verve Records Verve Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group (UMG). Founded in 1956 by Norman Granz, the label is home to the world's largest jazz catalogue, which includes recordings by artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simon ...

, where her musical compositions and vocal style led her to be compared to that of

Norah Jones Norah Jones (born Geethali Norah Jones Shankar; March 30, 1979) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. She has won several awards for her music and as of 2012, has sold more than 50 million records worldwide. ''Billboard'' named her the ...

. Her first album, ''

Salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quant ...

'', was released in the spring of 2003 and reached No. 2 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

Top Contemporary Jazz The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in ''Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, pr ...

chart in 2004. Her next release maintained the jazz and

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''Pop'' ( ...

blend, while incorporating

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has ...

. ''

Dreaming Wide Awake ''Dreaming Wide Awake'' is the second album by singer and composer Lizz Wright, released in 2005 (see 2005 in music). It reached number one on the ''Billboard'' Top Contemporary Jazz chart. The song 'Hit the Ground' featured in an episode of ' ...

'' was released in June 2005 and reached No. 1 on the Top Contemporary Jazz chart in 2005 and 2006. In 2008, Wright released '' The Orchard'' to positive reviews. She released her fourth album, ''

Fellowship A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher educatio ...

'', in 2010. Most songs on ''

'' are gospel standards.Lizz Wright biography
at Verve.

Discography

* ''

'' (Verve, 2003) * ''

'' (Verve Forecast, 2005) * '' The Orchard'' (Verve Forecast, 2008) * ''

'' (Verve Forecast, 2010) * '' Freedom & Surrender'' (Concord, 2015) * ''Grace'' (Concord 2017)

As guest

* "No One but Myself to Blame" and "Fool's Gold" on ''The Pecan Tree'' by

Joe Sample Joseph Leslie Sample (February 1, 1939 – September 12, 2014) was an American keyboardist and composer. He was one of the founding members of The Jazz Crusaders in 1960, the band which shortened its name to "The Crusaders" in 1971. He remained ...

(2002) * "...Till Then" and "

The Fiddle and the Drum "The Fiddle and the Drum" is a song by Canadian singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell; it was first recorded by Mitchell on her 1969 album ''Clouds''. It was one of the songs performed by Mitchell on ''The Dick Cavett Show'' on August 19, 1969, when Mi ...

" on ''...Till Then'' by

Danilo Pérez Danilo Pérez (born December 29, 1965) is a Panamanian pianist, composer, educator, and a social activist. His music is a blend of Panamanian roots with elements of Latin American folk music, jazz, European impressionism, African, and other music ...

(2003) * "

Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight "Don't Let Me Be Lonely Tonight" is a song written and performed by American singer-songwriter James Taylor, from his 1972 album '' One Man Dog''. The song has been included on three of Taylor's greatest-hits collection albums: ''Greatest Hits' ...

" on ''Closer'' by

David Sanborn David William Sanborn (born July 30, 1945) is an American alto saxophonist. Though Sanborn has worked in many genres, his solo recordings typically blend jazz with instrumental pop and R&B. He released his first solo album ''Taking Off'' in 19 ...

(2005) * "

Come Rain or Come Shine "Come Rain or Come Shine" is a popular music song, with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by Johnny Mercer. It was written for the Broadway musical '' St. Louis Woman'', which opened on March 30, 1946, and closed after 113 performances. Chart perf ...

" on ''One More for the Road'' by

Toots Thielemans Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans (29 April 1922 – 22 August 2016), known professionally as Toots Thielemans, was a Belgian jazz musician. He was mostly known for his chromatic harmonica playing, as well as his guitar and whistl ...

(2006) * "Freedom" (backing vocals) on ''

Supply and Demand In microeconomics, supply and demand is an economic model of price determination in a Market (economics), market. It postulates that, Ceteris paribus, holding all else equal, in a perfect competition, competitive market, the unit price for a ...

'' by Amos Lee (2006) * " Reaching for the Moon" with Regina Carter and

Russell Malone Russell Malone (born November 8, 1963) is an American jazz guitarist. He began working with Jimmy Smith in 1988 and went on to work with Harry Connick, Jr. and Diana Krall throughout the 1990s.Neuroth, Matt. (2008). ''Bio: Russell Malone.'' Re ...

on '' We All Love Ella: Celebrating the First Lady of Song'' (2007) * " Whispering Pines", a duet with

Jakob Dylan Jakob Luke Dylan (born December 9, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter. He rose to fame as the lead singer and primary songwriter for the rock band the Wallflowers. Born in New York City to musician Bob Dylan and model Sara Lownds, Dylan be ...

produced by

Joe Henry Joseph Lee Henry (born December 2, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer. He has released 15 studio albums and produced multiple recordings for other artists, including three Grammy Award-winning albums. Early life H ...

for '' Endless Highway: The Music of The Band'' (2007) * "Stillness: Winterhouse" on ''Persona'' by

Massimo Biolcati Massimo Biolcati (born 1972) is a Swedish-Italian-American jazz bassist who is a member of Gilfema and the Lionel Loueke Trio. Biography He is a founding member of Gilfema, a trio with Hungarian drummer Ferenc Nemeth and West African guitaris ...

(2008) * " I Wish I Knew (How It Feels to Be Free)" with pianist Takana Miyamoto and

Marcus Printup Marcus Edward Printup (born January 24, 1967) is an American jazz trumpeter who attended the University of North Florida Jazz Studies program and went on to work with Betty Carter, Wynton Marsalis, The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, and Tim Ha ...

on ''Promises Made: The Millennium Promise Jazz Project'' produced by

Kirk Whalum Kirk is a Scottish and former Northern English word meaning "church". It is often used specifically of the Church of Scotland. Many place names and personal names are also derived from it. Basic meaning and etymology As a common noun, ''kirk' ...

(2008) * " A Change Is Gonna Come" on

Nordstrom's Nordstrom, Inc. () is an American luxury department store chain headquartered in Seattle, Washington, and founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin in 1901. The original Wallin & Nordstrom store operated exclusively as a shoe store, and ...

''The Royal Blues: Celebrating the Queens of Blues and Jazz'' (2009) * " Nobody's Fault but Mine" on '' Pour une âme souveraine: A Dedication to Nina Simone'' by

Meshell Ndegeocello Michelle Lynn Johnson, better known as Meshell Ndegeocello (; born August 29, 1968), is a German-born American singer-songwriter, rapper, and bassist. She has gone by the name Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur which is used as a writing credit on so ...

(2012) * "Backward Country Boy Blues" by

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous jazz orchestra from 1923 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Ellington was bas ...

on Terri Lyne Carrington's '' Money Jungle: Provocative in Blue'' (2013) * "When I Found You" by

Patrice Rushen Patrice Louise Rushen (born September 30, 1954) is an American jazz pianist and R&B singer. She is also a composer, record producer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and music director. Her 1982 single "Forget Me Nots" received a Grammy Awar ...

on Terri Lyne Carrington's ''The Mosaic Project: Love and Soul'' (2015) * "This Song in Me", co-written by Wright with producer Derrick Hodge for ''We Are the Drum'' by

Kendrick Scott Kendrick Scott (born July 8, 1980 in Houston, Texas, United States) is an American jazz drummer, bandleader, and composer. He is the founder of the record label World Culture Music. Biography Kendrick A.D. Scott was born and raised in Houston. ...

Oracle (2015) * "Om Sweet Om" on ''Taj Mo'' by

Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal (; ) is an Islamic ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1631 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his favourite wife, ...

and Keb' Mo' (2017) * "Take Me Home" by José James for his album ''No Beginning No End 2'' (2020)

References

Sources and external links

Official website

"Portrait of the artist: Lizz Wright, singer"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wright, Lizz 1980 births Living people People from Hahira, Georgia Singers from Georgia (U.S. state) American contraltos American gospel singers American women jazz singers American jazz singers Ballad musicians Concord Records artists Smooth jazz singers Verve Records artists 21st-century African-American women singers