Prior to her breakthrough as a solo artist, Emma Smith already performed in the major jazz clubs and concert halls as a singer, from Ronnie Scott’s to the Royal Albert Hall. As a vocalist in big bands and a backing singer to the stars she convinced the jazz world with her powerful, flexible voice. With albums such as Meshuga Baby she stepped forward as a diva in her own right, with self-written songs as well as standards. Her new album Bitter Orange will be released on the Brooklyn-based label La Reserve Records.

As a jazz vocalist, Emma Smith has won important prizes including the Parliamentary Jazz Award for Jazz Vocalist of the Year in 2024. She collaborated with Gregory Porter and the Quincy Jones Orchestra, and she was part of The Puppini Sisters and Ronnie Scott’s All Stars. On her albums she performs her own songs as well as classics from jazz history. She regularly picks songs written from a male perspective, which she reinterprets from her own female point of view.

Emma Smith vocals, Sam Watts piano, Jack Tustin bass, Luke Tomlinson drums