LIZZ WRIGHT

Lizz Wright's first two Verve releases, Salt and Dreaming Wide Awake, established her as one of the jazz world's most celebrated rising stars, both an accomplished songwriter and a versatile, deeply expressive singer. On her third album The Orchard, the Georgia-bred, New York-based artist takes a substantial leap forward, transcending genre distinctions to deliver a vibrant, intensely creative milestone. The largely self-penned The Orchard finds Wright mining her own experience to create an unmistakably personal musical statement. The Orchard reflects Wright's lifelong musical journey. The artist was born in the small rural town of Hahira, Georgia, one of three children of a minister father and a mother who sang gospel at church services. In her childhood, she began playing piano and singing in church with her two siblings. In high school, she broadened her musical horizons by studying choral singing, performing with groups of various sizes and winning several regional and national awards. Wright subsequently studied voice at Georgia State University in Atlanta, and continued her musical education at New York's New School and in Vancouver.

That rare ability to exist within the musical moment is one of the qualities that make Lizz Wright a special artist and The Orchard a career milestone. "This record was a huge learning experience, in every way, and I think it showed me a lot about myself," she states. "I never would have imagined that I would have written some of the things I wrote on this record, or told some of these stories. But I felt really free and I really let myself go, and I surprised myself."