Lucy Smith

Artist Information

Biography

When I was a kid our living room had a wall covered, floor to ceiling, with mirrored tiles. Opposite that wall was a window facing Racine Avenue in Chicago. A console stereo (encased speakers, turntable AND AM/FM radio) sat in the corner of the room. I was in my own kinda heaven. I spent hours listening to and singing along with Josh White, Nina Simone, James Taylor, Aretha Franklin, Trini Lopez, Mariam Makeba, Eric Carmen, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder and (yes) Barry Manilow. I’d sing and dance myself into a frenzy -- the mirrors ensuring my cool steps and the perfect positioning of my pen (or pencil) microphone. I wanted to be everyone I sang along with and go wherever they went...I still do.

Now I make my own music. I love to groove and make pretty sounds; to swing and close my eyes and listen to what’s around me. When I’m not singing, I’m an audience member…even when I’m on stage. I say…“right on!”… “awright now!” I smile and sometimes I even cry. Music is the boss of me.

I lead my own quartet…The Lucy Smith Quartet. I’m a poet. I write music and enjoy rearranging what others have composed. I perform in and around the Chicago area: from nightclubs and neighborhood festivals to the grandest of private affairs. I encounter amazing musicians, teachers and fans – they sustain me.

"Movin' On" is my most recent release and is available online via iTunes and CD Baby www.cdbaby.com/lucysmith.

PERFORMANCE

The Lucy Smith Quartet/Trio
1992-present
Traditional and contemporary sounds.
Chicago area venues/events include: Room 43, Andersonville Midsommarfest, Heartland Cafe, Katerina's, Lee's Unleaded Blues, Steppenwolf Theatre, DuSable Museum, Maxim's, HotHouse, Park West, Pete Miller's, House of Blues (Foundation Room), Goodman Theatre, Speakeasy Supper Club, Lakeshore Arts Festival, Starlight Concert Series, Chicago Park District (Concerts in the Park), Fountain Square Festival, Millennium Park, Moda, Circuit, Gallery 37, Va Pensiero, HOME, Garfield Park Conservatory, South Shore Cultural Center, Taste of Chicago, Chicago Cultural Center, Bop Shop, Excalibur, The Shedd Aquarium, St James Cathedral, Fairmont Hotel, Hilton Hotel, and the Adler Planetarium.

Jazz at Four at Fourth Presbyterian - Music Director
2010 - present

Artists of the Wall Festival - Music Coordinator
2011 - present

Conflicting Harmonies (Conversations on Cuba in Music and Words) – Consultant
2007: Goodman Theatre

Music and Memories
2007
Steppenwolf Theatre (Traffic Jam Series)
Music Director
(conversations with Koko Taylor, Tom Burrell, Laura Washington, Timuel Black and Michael Warr)

The Vagina Monologues
2004: Park West (Chicago)
2003: DuSable Museum of African History (Chicago)
Benefit productions directed by Ilesa Duncan
Singer/Actor

Zenesy (tribute band)
2003-2005
Pays homage to master composers.
Bethel Arts Center (Chicago), Chicago Park District, Cheney Mansion (Oak Park), and Leo's Den (Chicago)
Singer/Arranger

Concord Orchestra
2000-2005
Lead vocalist for ensemble with extensive repertoire; myriad special occasions and various venues in the Midwest.

Passing for Normal (band formerly known as SWAG)
1998-2004
Singer/Songwriter for 6-member jazz-fused funk band with three CD releases.
Chicago venues: The HotHouse, Taste of Chicago, Chicago Cultural Center, The Note, Martyr's, Elbo Room, The Field Museum, Morseland Music Room, and Groucho's.

"The Blues"
1999
Blues singer for a theatre production at the University of Illinois at Chicago; musical director: Dr. Richard Wang. Interpretations of music from Duke Ellington to Fats Waller.

Ensemble Stop-Time
1998-1999
Lead vocalist for ensemble housed at the Center for Black Music Research (Columbia College, Chicago); music directors: Coleridge-Taylor Perkinson and T.S. Galloway. Venues: The Regal Theatre, South Shore Cultural Center, Columbia College.

"Goree Crossing"
1998
Featured vocalist for concert featuring music from Paul Carter Harrison's operetta about the Middle Passage; music director, T.S. Galloway. Venue: The Museum of Science and Industry (Chicago)

Bop Shop Vocal Jazz Jam
1997
Fronted trio and served as host for weekly vocal open mike at the Bop Shop (Chicago).

RECORDING/ARRANGING/TELEVISION/PRODUCTION

“Movin’ On” LMS (2006)
Music for Five-Year Olds, Chicago. Singer/Writer/Arranger

“The Best of Pow-Wow Wednesdays” – Blackout Records (2003)
Materville Studios, Chicago, IL. Vocalist

Producer/Performer/Host: SundaySongs with Lucy Smith (2002-2003)
Original music showcase at the Hothouse (Chicago).

“Chameleon Voice” – b.d.t. (Brian Tell – Busy Flower Productions) (2001)
Silver Tortoise Soundlab, Ann Arbor, MI. Vocalist

“Morning Edition” – National Public Radio (2001)
Washington, DC. Dramatic Reader. Appeared in two segments.

“SWAG II” – SWAG (1999)
Fatbaby Studios, Forest Park, IL. Singer/Writer/Arranger

“Arts Watch” – WTTW Ch. 11, Chicago, IL (1999)
Featured in Ensemble Stop-Time Segment

“Four More of What You Asked For” – SWAG (1998)
Fatbaby Studios, Park Forest, IL. Singer/Writer/Arranger

“Love, Put on Your Faces” – Patricia Barber (1998)
Chicago Recording Company, Chicago, IL. Appears on “Modern Cool”. Co-arranged and sang choral accompaniment.


EDUCATION

M.M., Jazz Studies (Vocal Performance). Roosevelt University, Chicago, IL.
Private study with Jennifer Shelton. Performed in combos directed by Scott Mason and Jim Gaillereto.

BA, Music (Jazz Studies). Columbia College, Chicago, IL. Private Study with Bobbi Wilsyn. Improv with Orbert Davis. Performed in combos directed by William Russo and Orbert Davis.

Private Study with Patricia Barber, Chicago, IL.

BA, (PR & Speech). Bradley University, Peoria, IL.

Prior to full-time musicianship, I was the Associate Director at the Crossroads Fund, a public foundation that raises money to support organizations working on issues of social and economic justice in Chicago.

Instrumentation

Lucy Smith Trio/Quartet/Quintet
Lucy Smith, vocals
Marcin Fahmy, piano
Bryan Doherty/Junius Paul, bass
Michael Caskey, drums
Greg Ward, alto sax

Discography

"Woke Up Black" film (2011) - Original Music

"Hannah Free" flim (2009) - score contribution

"Movin' On" - Music for 5 Year Olds-Chicago-(2006);
Lucy Smith, vocals
Marcin Fahmy, piano and keyboards
Jeff Hanley, acoustic and electric bass
Michael Caskey, drums and percussion
Greg Ward, alto saxophone
Marques Carroll, trumpet
Anthony Gravino, guitar
Cheryl Corley, additional vocals

“The Best of Pow-Wow Wednesdays” – Blackout Records (2003)
Materville Studios, Chicago, IL. Vocalist

“Chameleon Voice” – b.d.t. (Brian Tell – Busy Flower Productions) (2001)
Silver Tortoise Soundlab, Ann Arbor, MI. Vocalist

“SWAG II” – SWAG (1999)
Fatbaby Studios, Forest Park, IL. Singer/Writer/Arranger

“Four More of What You Asked For” – SWAG (1998)
Fatbaby Studios, Park Forest, IL. Singer/Writer/Arranger

Audio

• Summertime
  Listen  
• You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'
  Listen  
• Kiela
  Listen  
• Chase The Clouds Away
  Listen  
• I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues
  Listen  
• A Place In the Sun
  Listen  
• Passing for Normal
  Listen  
• Calling You
  Listen  
• Gentle Rain
  Listen  
• Bloo Blay w cymbals
  Listen  

Lyrics

• Kiela
• Passing for Normal
• All I Meant
• Go Down Moses
• You're Next
• I-N-F-I-D-E-L-I-T-Y

Video

Lucy Smith - "Throw It Away" (courtesy of Evanston Community Media Center)

Photo Gallery

Press

• Howard Reich
  

  A "gifted young vocalist." (Stop-Time Ensemble review)

• Richard Steele [+ Show ]
  

  With a mature and confident voice, Lucy covers the spectrum -- offering jazz, blues and some funky R...With a mature and confident voice, Lucy covers the spectrum -- offering jazz, blues and some funky R&B. Her arrangements are artful, the songwriting smart and there are some wonderful surprises. So listen and enjoy!

• Gregg Shapiro [+ Show ]
  

  "Chicago-based jazz vocalist Lucy Smith is both a talented songwriter and a gifted interpreter of ot..."Chicago-based jazz vocalist Lucy Smith is both a talented songwriter and a gifted interpreter of other people's songs. Nowhere is that more obvious than in her splendid rendition of 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin',' the opening track on her disc "Movin' On" (lucysmithjazz.com). Chuck Mangione's 'Chase the Clouds Away' and Bob Telson's 'Calling You' also benefit from Smith's technique. Smith originals, including the jazzy 'All I Meant,' the powerful 'Passing for Normal' and the hilarious country cheatin' song 'I-N-F-I-D-E-L-I-T-Y' are truly inspired and deserve to be heard by everyone."

• Robin Elks [+ Show ]
  

  Lucy Smith scores 9/10 from this presenter. Every now and then someone comes along who takes an extr...Lucy Smith scores 9/10 from this presenter. Every now and then someone comes along who takes an extraordinary well known song like "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin" and just doesn't cover it. Her version becomes a total musical and vocal reinterpretation. Also her versions of "Chase The Clouds Away" and "I Ain't Got Nothin' But The Blues" are right on the money. But her talent doesn't stop there. Lucy is also no slouch as a songwriter and arranger. Her mature honey smooth vocal style seeps into the mind and soul of the listener, and her superb backing band provide the finishing touches. I hope that Lucy Smith is "Movin' On" right into the studio for her next outing.
  Robin On The Radio 2TENFM (89.7 & 98.7) Tenterfield New South Wales & Stanthorpe Queensland Australia.

• Metromix - Dan Kening [+ Show ]
  

  vocalist Lucy Smith's mellifluous smooth as butter vocals...immediately grab your attention. (SWAG ...vocalist Lucy Smith's mellifluous smooth as butter vocals...immediately grab your attention.
  (SWAG review)
  

• Radio Airplay for [+ Show ]
  

  WBEZ – FM (91.5) – Chicago, IL WHPK - FM (88.5) - Chicago, IL 2-RRR-FM (88.5) – Sydney, Austra...WBEZ – FM (91.5) – Chicago, IL
  
  WHPK - FM (88.5) - Chicago, IL
  
  2-RRR-FM (88.5) – Sydney, Australia
  
  KCLC - FM (89.1) - St. Louis, MO
  
  Jazz FM (88.4) - Mosina, Poland
  
  Radio Campus (106.6) - Lille, France
  
  KVMR (89.5/105.1) - Nevada City/Sacramenta, CA
  
  WHIL-FM (91.3) - Mobile, AL
  
  Puntoradio.fm (91.1/91.6) Pisa, Livorno & Lucca (Italy)
  
  BRTO Radio (105.8/87.5) – Bergen op Zoom, Netherlands
  
  Radio 2 (94.1) - Skopje, Macedonia
  
  Cairns FM (89.1) - Cairns, Queensland (Australia)
  
  MDM Radio (101.1) - Mont de Marsan (France)
  
  Radio ARA (103.3/105.2) Luxembourg
  
  STAR-FM (100.3) - St. Helens, Tasmania (AUS)
  
  TripleH-FM (96.5) - Horsham, Victoria (AUS)
  
  Radio Vilafant (107.3) - Vilafant/Girona, Spain
  
  TripleU-FM (104.5/92.3/99.7) - Nowra, New South Wales (AUS)
  
  MKMK Radio - Minsk, Belarus
  
  2TENFM (89.7 & 98.7) - Tenterfield New South Wales & Stanthorpe Queensland Australia
  
  WRTC (89.3) - Hartford, Connecticut
  
  Radio Kanal Ratte (104.5) - Schopfheim, Germany
  
  KZSC - FM (88.1) - Santa Cruz, CA
  
  CFBX - FM (92.5) - Kamloops, BC, Canada
  
  Dutch Coast Radio - Netherlands
  

• Chicago Sounds Lush with Lucy Smith [+ Show ]
  

  "American Idol" must really get under Lucy Smith's skin. The show, which rewards the "talents" of si..."American Idol" must really get under Lucy Smith's skin. The show, which rewards the "talents" of singers with dubious musical training and education, is antithetical to hard-working vocalists like Ms. Smith. She has earned both a Bachelors degree in music from Columbia College in Chicago and a master's in jazz studies (Vocal Performance) from Roosevelt University.
  
  She has been a vocalist for blues and jazz bands since the early 1990's, is the leader and arranger for the Lucy Smith Quartet/Trio, has appeared in a variety of plays, including "The Vagina Monologues," been featured in music segments for television shows, and has performed at Chicago venues such as the HotHouse, Park West, Pete Miller's, House of Blues (Foundation Room) and Speakeasy Supper Club.
  
  Lucy Smith sounds as if she would be as comfortable playing to a packed House of Blues Crowd as she would to 12 people at The Green Mill on a Tuesday night. Her vocals maintain complexities while sounding effortless.
  
  Ms. Smith's quivering intonations on the gospel cover "Go Down Moses" provide emotive emphasis on the cry for freedom, while the percussions, trumpet and piano of her accompanying band punctuate the sentiment when Smith declares, "Let my people go."
  
  On "Kiela," her voice permeates the room through black speakers and enters the soul through aural osmosis. "Kiela" is funky without losing its jazz base, containing the right mix of instrumental experimentation and structural songwriting, thrusting a bebop breakdown between lyrics like: “an endless show of lives with many voices/she knows their days are made from simple choices.” Well, Lucy made the right choices when she picked her backing band-they superbly accent her smooth voice.
  
  Playful, mellow and full of soul, Lucy Smith is virtually a Chicago institution. Fans of jazz, blues, funk and r&b should check out www.lucysmithjazz.com for information on her upcoming shows.
  
  -- Brian Murphy, Evanston Roundtable
  

• Shirley Jahad [+ Show ]
  

  The rich, deep, Lucy Smith sound seeps down in your soul and stirs it forward. Whether she's singing...The rich, deep, Lucy Smith sound seeps down in your soul and stirs it forward. Whether she's singing about love lost or newly found, she moves your heart to a warm “place in the sun.”

• D. Oscar Groomes [+ Show ]
  

  Lucy's got a powerful rich voice, no doubt. She is singing with a confidence that makes us anxious t...Lucy's got a powerful rich voice, no doubt. She is singing with a confidence that makes us anxious to listen. It is an appealing signature placed over tight R&B on natural instruments. Smith sings a mix of freshened covers and originals. There's both soul and gospel on "Go Down Moses" with a solo from Greg Ward (sax). We also liked "Passing For Normal" and "I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues". This is a voice to be reckoned with!

• Leon Reyes [+ Show ]
  

  Soulful, funky and heartfelt describes the music of Lucy Smith. Rich textures and colorful yet comic...Soulful, funky and heartfelt describes the music of Lucy Smith. Rich textures and colorful yet comical beats blend the music as well. Did I say Comical? Listen to the well-done I-N-F-I-D-E-L-I-T-Y, serious yet comical. A great musical contrast and not to mention, daring as well. Thank you Lucy!

Setlist

Sets consist of original music and covers including soul, jazz standards, blues, folk music and spirituals. Improvisation and groove is key.
Clubs: Two or more 50 minute sets.
Festivals: One 50 to 85 minute set.
Colleges and Universities: Available for classroom and concert hall appearances. AND we're flexible.

Basic Requirements

Calendar