Lost and Found

Ledisi’s transition to a major label coincides perfectly with her maturation as an artist: this release makes it clear that her artistic voice is fully formed. The album utilizes a stellar team of producers who double as accomplished instrumentalists. Jamey Jaz, Luther Hanes, Sundra Manning, Lorenzo Johnson and Rex Rideout have experience in jazz and gospel, and they infuse Lost and Found with textures and movements that go beyond the realm of R&B. Of course, Ledisi herself is the star of this show. She co-wrote every one of the album’s 16 tracks (most with Rex Rideout), and provides the material with extraordinary diversity. There is sticky funk in “Today,” brooding seduction in “Alright,” and sun-filled, uptempo hooks in “The One” and “I Tried.” To every song Ledisi brings a jazz vocalist’s liquid range and a seasoned singer’s attention to tone and phrasing. Around the velvet motions of her backing band her voice twirls and bends and glides, but it never trips. More crucially, she is wholly present in every note, giving the songs on Lost and Found gravity even as Ledisi moves through them with a dancer’s agility.