As soon as American singer Lady Blackbird’s appearance at Kaunas Jazz was announced, tickets were snapped up in record time. It comes as no surprise\u2014over the past few years, this exceptionally talented artist has become a standout sensation across jazz and beyond.<\/p>\n\n
“Enigmatic and arresting,” wrote The New York Times about this fiery vocalist. “Songs and performances that burn deep within you,” echoed British publication The Guardian vividly. And that is only a fraction of the praise showered upon the singer this decade.<\/p>\n\n
Back in 2022, Lady Blackbird was named International Jazz Act of the Year at the Jazz FM Awards (beating out trumpeter Theo Croker, who has also performed at Kaunas Jazz), and glowing praise has been poured on her by some of the world’s biggest stars\u2014from Gregory Porter to U2 frontman Bono.<\/p>\n\n
The star of this singer of exceptional charisma and talent rose in 2021 with the release of her debut album, “Black Acid Soul,” though prior to that she had already navigated a long, winding road full of challenges.<\/p>\n\n
Marley Munroe (the singer’s real name; she chose her moniker after hearing Nina Simone’s rendition of “Blackbird”) was born in a small town in New Mexico. Raised in a religious family, she immersed herself in music from an early age\u2014singing in church and at sporting events. At age twelve, she signed with a Christian record label and began touring and performing with the rap-rock Christian group DC Talk.<\/p>\n\n
A turning point came during her teenage years when she realized religion was not for her, and that its restrictive rules hindered her personal growth.<\/p>\n\n
“I realized that religion was thrust upon me and I was never at peace with it. I began feeling miserable when I realized I was trying to hide who I really was. I had to find a way out,” Lady Blackbird reflects emotionally on the inner turmoil she endured\u2014themes she embraces openly in her music.<\/p>\n\n
As she pursued her career, she sang with pop star Anastacia and electronic music veteran Moby, and signed with major label Epic, though she did not receive the attention she deserved there.<\/p>\n\n
Everything changed when the singer began collaborating with producer Chris Seefried, who became her devoted creative partner.<\/p>\n\n
Her debut album “Black Acid Soul” received rave reviews. From joy to heartbreak, jazz to soul, psychedelic rock to pop, Lady Blackbird showcased astounding creative range and imagination. All of it was brought to life by her stunning voice, which moved effortlessly between raw power and gentle whispers.<\/p>\n\n
Her bold, eccentric aesthetic also drew wide attention\u2014for example, in the music video for “Woman,” the singer appeared nude.<\/p>\n\n
The American singer’s career took off especially fast in the UK, where her album climbed into the Top 10 and became the most-streamed jazz record of the week. Soon, Lady Blackbird was performing at renowned venues such as KOKO and the Barbican, supporting Gregory Porter, and singing on the popular Graham Norton Show.<\/p>\n\n
Her performance there went viral worldwide, leaving U2 singer Bono and global pop superstar Taylor Swift captivated by her voice.<\/p>\n\n
It was no surprise that legendary vocalist Chaka Khan invited her to perform at her curated Meltdown festival, while acclaimed British producer Trevor Horn approached her to record a new rendition of “Slave to the Rhythm,” which he originally co-wrote for the iconic Grace Jones.<\/p>\n\n
“Because Lady Blackbird is the Grace Jones of jazz,” he remarked, comparing the striking and extravagant style of both artists.<\/p>\n\n
In 2024, Lady Blackbird released her sophomore album, “Slang Spirituals,” once again marking a major highlight on the music scene.<\/p>\n\n
The singer does not conceal that these songs reflect the trials of her journey, her quest for freedom and authentic identity. It is music that is both deeply intimate and hopeful. On it, Lady Blackbird embraces vulnerability while expanding her expressive sonic palette even further.<\/p>\n\n
“These are songs born in hotel bars while touring. I want to show the world who I am. I can finally breathe freely and sing about it. It’s like a diary. I’m telling my journey\u2014from the days of being called a sinner to discovering freedom and embracing who I am, without pretense. Making this record was pure therapy,” says Lady Blackbird.<\/p>\n\n
Critics continue to grasp for words trying to label her sound. Neo-gospel?<\/p>\n\n
Avant-garde soul?<\/p>\n\n
Lady Blackbird herself smiles at attempts to box her into genres, knowing all too well that it is simply impossible. This music is best experienced live, and the artist wholeheartedly agrees.<\/p>\n\n
“The stage feels like home to me; every time I step onto it, my entire life flashes before my eyes.<\/p>\n\n
I can’t wait to invite the audience on this journey with me and set them free,” says the singer, making her Lithuanian debut at the invitation of Kaunas Jazz.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
American vocalist Lady Blackbird (Marley Munroe), whose concert sold out in an instant, delivered a powerful and intimate performance on the Kaunas Jazz stage. Masterfully blending jazz, soul, gospel, and psychedelic sounds, the artist treated the audience to one of the festival’s most memorable evenings, distinguished by boundless energy and unique aesthetics.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27762,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","cpt_portfolio_group":[332],"class_list":["post-27988","cpt_portfolio","type-cpt_portfolio","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","cpt_portfolio_group-participants"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kaunasjazz.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cpt_portfolio\/27988","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kaunasjazz.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cpt_portfolio"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kaunasjazz.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/cpt_portfolio"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kaunasjazz.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kaunasjazz.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27988"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kaunasjazz.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27762"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kaunasjazz.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cpt_portfolio_group","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kaunasjazz.lt\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cpt_portfolio_group?post=27988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}