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 offer of love and deep sense of humanity.

Wright culls inspiration from her Southern upbringing in Georgia where she was the musical director of a small church of which her father was the pastor. The call and response singing with the church congregation was her first brush with music. Soon she would traverse the Great American Songbook on her path to becoming a beloved international treasure.

“Lizz Wright has made her substantial reputation as a jazz and gospel singer, but it’s no trouble for her to take a slow and slinky turn to the blues on this new single, “Sweet Feeling” – the blues, after all, lie at the root of both of those styles. This track is our first look at her next record, Shadow. The album will feature guest vocals from Angelique Kidjo and Meshell Ndegeocello, as well as a mix of original songs and covers. “Sweet Feeling” is a song associated with gospel (and one-time disco) singer Candi Staton, but Wright and her band make it very much their own.” — WNYC‘s New Sounds