Ledisi Releases FOR DINAH (DELUXE EDITION) Tribute Album

GRAMMY Award-winning vocalist Ledisi has released the new album For Dinah (Deluxe Edition) on Candid Records, an expanded edition of last year's acclaimed salute to Ledisi's personal hero, the legendary 'Queen of Blues' singer Dinah Washington. Produced alongside longtime collaborator Rex Rideout and bassist Christian McBride, the tribute bridges Washington's brazen spirit with Ledisi's signature soulfulness, reaffirming Washington's vital legacy.

This expanded edition deepens the celebration with four additional tracks, including brand-new renditions of the classic blues song 'Nobody Knows the Way I Feel This Morning' and the traditional jazz standard 'Ill Wind (You're Blowing Me No Good).' Other bonus tracks include a special Village Studios session recording of Washington's iconic hit 'What a Difference a Day Made' and the recently released single 'Teach Me Tonight.'

Like every triumphantly gifted female singer who has transcended barriers, Ledisi is a child of Dinah Washington. 'She gave me permission to move freely, create freely, be a woman in leadership, wear and say what I want,' explains Ledisi, who studied jazz and went on to make her name as one of the generation's best R&B singers and interpreters of great Black American music.

Ledisi adds, 'Before there was Aretha, there was Dinah. She deserves to be recognized in today's music as well. So instead of asking me 'Why Dinah?,' you should be asking 'Why not Dinah?''

For Dinah (Deluxe Edition) also includes top-tier collaborations, including 'You've Got What It Takes,' a moving duet with GRAMMY Award-winning vocalist Gregory Porter, plus guest appearances by world-class musicians like Paul Jackson Jr. and Michael King. Another stand-out song is 'This Bitter Earth,' a soul-stirring interpretation of the haunting ballad made famous by Washington and written by Clyde Otis. With a beautifully contemporary arrangement by Ledisi and McBride, the track gracefully captures the ache of loneliness with a neo-soul hue.

Ledisi sounds radiant and powerful on 'Caravan,' where McBride's orchestration brings to mind Quincy Jones' arrangement of the song for Washington. Diverting from Washington's path, Ledisi drops some Ella Fitzgerald-inspired scatting on the Washington original 'If I Never Get to Heaven.' Producer and bassist McBride showcases his impeccable tone, technique, and intonation throughout 'You Don't Know What Love Is,' while guitarist Jackson Jr.'s chord-melody playing offers a gorgeous companion to Ledisi's crystalline instrument on 'You Go to My Head.'

More than a musical salute, For Dinah and the new deluxe release also serve as a thank-you letter from one powerful Black woman to another — an homage to an artist who cleared the path that Ledisi has spent her life navigating. 'Her presence was bold,' says Ledisi, 'and she used her voice and physical presence to be seen in an industry that did not give the spotlight to curvy, chocolate, Black women. She rebelled against the boxes that couldn't hold her voice and personality.'

It's a legacy that Ledisi has upheld in recent decades with equal parts integrity and panache, and this repertoire is a space where she can celebrate her femininity without reservation. 'There's a sensuality in this music that's explained externally, as well as internally and sonically,' adds Ledisi. 'It's my fur; it's my curves and the tightness of my dress. And it's in the attitude of how I move with the music.'

Ultimately, the stirring record is about representation and its ability to uplift. 'Dinah had a lot to prove, trying to be accepted in an industry of men,' Ledisi continues. 'I understood that, and I felt that in how I was moving around in the world — a dark-skinned woman, big eyes, big curves. I would see myself in her journey, including in the pain and rejection she faced. I said, Wow, OK. This is where I come from. And she deserves more acknowledgement. This is my way of saying her name out loud.'

Photo Credit: Ron T Young