With support: Josh Barry. 

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 Lizz Wright sings with a soaring reflection of the cultural fabric of America. She lies beneath the script of human history transcending social divides with an offer of love and a deep sense of humanity. Her music accepts the beauty of reality and a collective experience of belonging. For the listener, Wright’s songs embody a tradition that allows us to always feel at home.

Wright culls inspiration from her Southern upbringing in Georgia where she was the musical director of a small church in which her father was the pastor. Gospel music, and the call and response singing with the church congregation, informed her first brushes with music while she would soon traverse the Great American Songbook on her path to an illustrious singing career.

At the age of 22, Wright made a name for herself nationally as a vocalist with a touring concert tribute to Billie Holiday, where her poised performance stole the show. At 23, she signed with Verve Records for the release of Salt which topped Billboard’s contemporary jazz charts. Her subsequent albums (Dreaming Wide Awake, The Orchard, Fellowship, Freedom & Surrender) continued to top the charts with her single ‘Lean In’ (from Freedom & Surrender) landing on President Obama’s 2016 summer playlist. Produced by Americana icon Joe Henry, Wright’s latest full-length studio recording, Grace, reveals the web of deep-running roots of story and song that bind together the vastly diverse traditions that are the soul of the American South.

In 2022, Lizz Wright launched an independent record company, Blues & Greens Records, with the release of Holding Space, a brilliant live album capturing a concert in 2018 in Berlin.

Wright’s label venture is designed to forge an innovative business model where artists are positioned to build sustainable and wholesome careers. After 20+ years of major and indie label contracts, Wright sees the imbalances of power and unfairnesses in artistic ownership. Blues & Greens Records creates a healthy ecosystem for Wright, and inspires her to imagine and develop offerings for emerging artists. Her debut release, Holding Space, becomes the first master recording she owns.

Opening for Lizz Wright is Josh Barry, a modern virtuoso synonymous with the energy of heroes such as James Brown and Jimi Hendrix. Finding inspiration from some of the greatest souls of the ’70s and making his sound completely his own, with no limits.

Josh has featured on dance hits with the likes of Gorgon City, Sonny Fodera, The Martinez Brothers & Rudimental. In addition to this Josh recently collaborated and featured alongside Nile Rogers and Wh0 on their song ‘Better Day’.

Approx. stage times:
7.30pm-8pm Josh Barry
Interval
8.20pm-9.40pm Lizz Wright