We don't know where Ledisi hides her cape or the S on her chest, but she's gotta be Superwoman. In addition to being a singer, songwriter, actress, wife and the newly elected President of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Recording Academy, she is the owner of the independent record label Listen Back Entertainment and she is killing the game. "Anything For You," the very first single that she released on the label in April 2020, won Ledisi her long-overdue first GRAMMY Award for Best Traditional R&B Performance this March. In less than a year and in the midst of a global pandemic, she has already released two albums – The Wild Card and Ledisi Live At The Troubadour – and she has another on the way in a matter of weeks. On July 23rd, Ledisi will independently release her landmark tenth album, Ledisi Sings Nina, her tribute album to the legendary entertainer and activist Nina Simone.
Ledisi's love affair with Nina Simone's storied songbook is well documented. From her stunning turn alongside Jill Scott, Kelly Price and Marsha Ambrosius during their performance of "Four Women" at 2010's Black Girls Rock! to her Nina And Me live concerts that were born from a 2018 show at the Apollo Theatre to her 2020 PBS special Ledisi Live: A Tribute to Nina Simone, Ledisi has been a contemporary champion of Simone's work. She will bring her passion for it full circle on Ledisi Sings Nina, which will showcase her modern interpretations of seven songs from Nina's catalog.
Ledisi holds a special place in her heart for Nina Simone, whose music spoke to her when she needed to hear it the most. "I was depressed, my life was a mess, and I heard her on the radio singing ‘Trouble In Mind.’ I heard the life in there. It woke me up," she shares via press release. "I was feeling discouraged for being different, for being the oddball that liked every style — blues and jazz and Broadway and hip-hop. I had sung every club in the Bay Area, done every gig. Nina’s voice said to me I was not alone. Her voice saved my life and woke me up and taught me to be fearless. I had two pieces of luggage and moved to New York City after that.”
Recorded before and during the pandemic in Holland, Los Angeles, London and New Orleans, Ledisi Sings Nina features a talented roster of guests, including Lisa Fischer, Lizz Wright and Alice Smith who will join Ledisi on a "Four Women" update; the Metropole Orkest conducted by Jules Buckley with arrangements by Jochen Neufer and the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra directed by Adonis Rose.
Ledisi Sings Nina promises to be a stunning release and a welcome addition to Ledisi's catalog. Scroll down to view the project's trailer and to peruse the tracklist. The album is available for pre-save/pre-order from various digital music services now in advance of its July 23rd release date.
Ledisi Ledisi Sings Nina tracklist:
- Advertisement -1. Feeling Good
2. My Baby Just Cares For Me
3. Ne Me Quitte Pas
4. Wild Is The Wind (live)
5. Work Song
6. Four Women
7. I’m Going Back Home
