Lizz Wright: Gospel

On her return to Prague, Lizz Wright performs a special programme of the music which resonates most deeply with her: gospel.

For Lizz Wright, the return to gospel is a return to a childhood filled with music. Her father, a priest and church choirmaster, shared his musical passion with both his flock in Hahira, Georgia, and his family at home. Lizz quickly learned not only to carry a melody, but also how to sing second, third, and other backing vocal parts in traditional arrangements of spiritual songs. Sharing the art of gospel with her audience is a natural step for Wright, who has become known for bringing together forms such as folk, blues, jazz, and r n' b in her work.

Lizz Wright's debut album Salt was released 18 years ago and was highly praised for its eclectic yet coherent mix of styles. The follow-up, Dreaming Wide Awake, enjoyed a long stay at the top of the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz chart. Wright has maintained a remarkably consistent level of quality across subsequent albums The Orchard, Fellowship, Freedom & Surrender a Grace, and from record to record her “gospel DNA” has come increasingly to the fore. Her sound has gradually developed from r n' b-jazz to an even more authentic form of expression rooted in traditional Afro-American spiritual music, and she continues to take an engaged stance on some of the key questions facing society.