New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Shore Fire Media) - Multiple GRAMMY nominated "R&B cult goddess" (USA Today, 8.18)
Ledisi is once again hearing the buzz of critical praise- this time for her new album 'Turn Me Loose,' which rings with the "sweet sound of success" (USA Today, 8.18). But it's Ledisi's performance in the cast of the Reprise Theatre Company's production of 'Once On This Island' last fall that earned her an NAACP Theatre Award nomination.
Ledisi will give a solo performance during the Awards ceremony on August 31 at the Directors Guild of American in Hollywood.
'Turn Me Loose' is out now from Verve Forecast and with comparisons to Mary J. Blige, Chaka Khan, Tina Turner and more, the critical consensus is to turn it up:
"This soul diva leaves no doubt as to why she earned a Grammy nomination for
Best New Artist... when this lady sings the blues on the Al Greenish 'Love Never Changes' and the fiery title track, turning her loose is the last thing you'll want to do"
- People, Ivory Jeff Clinton, 8.24.09
"she sounds free-spirited and fully in control, her raw-honey vocals soaring with hard-won authority and delicious abandon."
- Elysa Gardner, USA Today, 8.18.09
"more youth-oriented than 'Lost & Found,' ... Ledisi yowls like a punk-rock Tina Turner."
- Los Angeles Times, Mikael Wood, 8.19.09
"it's got deeper grooves and vocals that raise the roof."
- New York Daily News, Jim Farber, 8.10.09
"she flits, flies and growls all over the R&B spectrum. Turning her loose
was a great idea."
- Newsday, Glenn Gamboa, 8.18.09
"a true soul singer... She sings from the heart, and when music comes from there, you can't be denied."
- AOL Black Voices, 7.31.09
"'it's her clear vocals, glass-shattering high notes and life-affirming melodies that remain the main attraction, revealing the kind of substance and unfettered spirit of Mary J. Blige at her battle-scarred best."
- San Francisco Chronicle, Aidin Vaziri, 8.16.09
"['Turn Me Loose' is] a fierce, soul-fire manifesto that firmly establishes this passionate singer-songwriter as a contemporary force. [Her] talents will draw comparisons to Chaka Khan with her incendiary mix of R&B, rock, hip-hop, blues and funk. The beats are hot, the rhythms boil, and Ledisi's explosive pipes never let up. [The album is] just as adult as it is youthful, personal and universal, vintage and fresh. It's also a revelation....With 'Turn Me Loose,' Ledisi busts open the door and boldly steps outside."
- Dallas Morning News, Mario Tarradell, 8.18.09
"Neo-soul chanteuse Ledisi teams with an A-list of producers for his latest outing that continues her genre smashing ways, as the singer brings in elements of jazz, hip-hop and rock to classic R&B. Lesisi is by far one of the brightest lights in soul music today and 'Turn Me Loose' brings the funk in a fashion that would make James Brown proud."
- PopMatters.com, Sarah Zupko, 8.18.09
