"Lost & Found" from Ledisi

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On Tuesday August 28th 2007, The Verve Music Group will release Lost & Found, a stellar 16-track body of work from Ledisi, the critically-acclaimed soul vocalist who first came to attention of the music-loving public with her two self-produced and independently released CDs -2000's Soulsinger and 2003's Feeling Orange But Sometimes Blue. Ledisi (whose name means “to bring forth” in the Yoruba language of Nigeria) has been known for delivering electrifying and memorable live performances, and over the course of her career she has earned the respect of fans and music writers alike.

Now, with Verve's release of Lost & Found, Ledisi will have the opportunity to further develop and expand her fan base, and share the gift of her r&b, jazz- influenced musical style with a wider audience.

When urban adult contemporary radio latched onto Ledisi's cover (produced by Rex Rideout) of the Luther Vandross single, “My Sensitivity (Gets In The Way),” from Forever, For Always, For Luther, the 2004 Verve/GRP all-star tribute to the late R&B icon, listeners new to Ledisi's unique vocal skills embraced her immediately. Verve took notice. It had become clear that Ledisi had established herself as an artist with an exceptional vocal gift and Verve, long-known as a laboratory for nurturing emerging talent, signed her. “I have three reasons why I decided to make the leap to a major label: The first reason is I like the idea of Verve Records being a jazz label, so when I grow musically, I can develop into what is natural to me ... singing jazz. The second reason is I wanted to continue to feel free to be an artist under a major label's umbrella. At Verve they allow me to be myself,” says Ledisi. And the third and final reason, I want a wider audience to hear and appreciate my older recordings.”

Lost & Found showcases the multi-talented artist who co- produced all of the songs with veteran music producer/composer Rex Rideout, Jamey Jaz, Mano Hanes, Lorenzo Johnson, and her longtime producing and writing partner Sundra Manning, with whom she formed LeSun Music the independent label which released her two earlier projects.

Lost & Found is a sonic mlange of jazz, classic R&B, and scat, all fused with rib-thumping bottom notes of unadulterated funk and gospel, and Ledisi moves fluidly between these genres, mixing it up to create a flavorful aural Gumbo that is melodically lush, lyrically appealing and unabashedly soulful. After hearing it, music aficionados will understand why Stephen Holden of The New York Times said: “Her voice is her own portable playground.”

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