Lizz Wright Plays Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald’s Centennial Birthday with New Video (premiere)

Honey-voiced singer Lizz Wright is equally at home in jazz and soul and she brings those two traditions together in her video tribute to jazz vocal legend Ella Fitzgerald as her centennial birthday arrives in April 2017. Wright has chosen Hoagy Carmichael’s 1938 classic “Nearness of You”, which found it’s biggest success with the Glenn Miller Band’s rendition in 1940. Wright‘s phrasing on the tune is phenomenal as she digs into the song’s meanings to deliver a new version of the well-known tune for modern times.

We are sharing this beautiful video ahead of an amazing event scheduled for this Saturday in New York. Wright will be joining Patti Austin, Cassandra Wilson, Andra Day, Monica Mancini, and actor Kevin Spacey in a special concert at the Apollo Theater entitled “100: The Apollo Celebrates Ella”. The show starts at 8.00pm and you can pick up tickets here.

Wright tells PopMatters that “Ella’s intonation was impeccable and her command of lyrics truly masterful. Within the force of all that talent she was joyful, vulnerable and ultimately accessible. She was great and yet she made the people feel as though she belonged to them. Her example is a gift to any singer.”