November 5, 2022.
A complete New Morning, in seated configuration, for Lizz Wright’s eagerly awaited return to the club scene, after her appearances here in 2016 and 2018. The musician was born in Georgia where she sang gospel in church at a very young age. her father, now lives in Chicago and comes back to us with “Holding Space”, an album recorded live in Berlin that she releases on her own label.
Lizz Wright appears surrounded by an impeccable band in a clearly electric setup with in particular the French-American Ben Zwerin on bass and Adam Levy on guitar. And from the first title, Freedom, it is clear that it is a warm and effective groove that will envelop the singer’s ample voice. This is therefore deliberately in a soul gospel style, vocally powerful and restrained, a bit different from the often pop folk register of his albums. Lizz Wright also follows up with a medley that also shows her willingness to have her musicians play, her family says, especially organist David Cook all in soul sensibilities and guitarist Adam Levy in a register close to John Scofield.
The songs then lengthen to the delight of the audience, who never fail to show their admiration for this bewitching singer. Her half concert more openly gospel, then the surprise of the evening with a cover of Old man by Neil Young (on “Harvest”), featured on his latest live album. And here we are in California at the beginning of the seventies with sunny choruses and an almost psychedelic solo by Adam Levy that evokes the best period of Buffalo Springfield. What versatility, what ease for the singer and her group, so at ease in this soul gospel register that they know how to apply it subtly to this cover!
Only one encore a cappella, but the audience wanted more, and it was the whole group that concluded this evening at a very high level.
Text and images: Eric Heintz
