There is a scene in the movie Selma, when Dr. Martin Luther King is stressed and almost overwhelmed by the weight of the civil rights work. It’s late. He picks up the phone to call Mahalia Jackson, waking her from sleep, and says simply, “I need to hear the Lord’s voice.” The voice that was selected to play the role of Mahalia Jackson was that of the singer we know as Ledisi. And on March 20th, Ledisi will be in Newark along with Raheem DeVaughn and Leela James at NJPAC.
Acclaimed as one of the best soul singers of her generation, Ledisi has recorded six albums and has performed six times for the President and Mrs. Obama. Her expressive, jazz-influenced voice and well-produced songs are on full display in her latest album, The Truth.
Singer and songwriter Raheem DeVaughn puts heart and soul into all the tracks of his fourth and newest album, A Place Called Loveland. His smash singles, “Woman” and “Customer,” both earned Grammy nods, along with the ambitious The Love and War MasterPeace, nominated in 2010 as Best R&B Album of the Year.
Leela James first burst onto the scene with her 2006 debut album A Change Is Gonna Come and garnered nominations for Outstanding New Artist at the NAACP Image Awards and Best R&B/Soul or Rap New Artist of 2008 at the Soul Train Music Awards. Her album My Soul hit No. 7 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart.
