Celebrating 20 years since her debut Salt, released on Verve Records in 2003, Shadow represents vocalist and songwriter Lizz Wright’s studio debut on her own label, Blues & Greens Records. Recorded by Ryan Freeland and produced by long-time collaborator Chris Bruce, this profoundly beautiful new chapter in Wright’s musical journey features five originals plus six covers. The latter include Toshi Reagon’s ‘No More Will I Run’ which first appeared on Wright’s 2022 live album, Holding Space.

Substituting subtle percussion for full drum kit, it seems to breathe here in an entirely different way, elevating an already gorgeous song to greatness. In addition to the vast open spaces of Caitlin Canty’s ‘Lost In The Valley’ which features the wonderfully expressive playing of violinists Trina Basu and Arun Ramamurhy, Wright delivers one of the finest interpretations imaginable of Sandy Denny’s ‘Who Knows Where The Time Goes?’.

Originals include ‘Sparrow’, in which Wright is joined by her great friend Angélique Kidjo, the serenely hymnic ‘This Way’, plus a wondrous take on one of Wright’s favourite standards, ‘I Concentrate on You’, arranged by Adam Levy. Underpinned by a deliciously fluid groove supplied by bassist Meshell Ndegeocello and drummer Deantoni Parks, with ear-catching contrapuntal detail courtesy of harpist Brandee Younger, ‘Your Love’ captures the essence of channelling movement to confront and heal the sorrow of lost loved ones. Transporting Wright to her grandmother’s favourite oak tree along a dirt road in Georgia, ‘Root of Mercy’ hits the heart and soul with a balsamaceous blast of grandmaternal love.