Happy New Year! 

Chicago is an amazing place to make music. I am grateful for the opportunities and I am humbled by all of the amazing people I encounter. Thank you!

Greetings from Copenhagen! 

Had a great time in Denmark. The folks were welcoming, food was great and sites were intriguing. We also spent a 1/2 day in Malmo (Sweden). Trip highlight for me you ask? Making music at La Fontaine (the oldest jazz club in Copenhagen). It was a jam session for original music only. This was no amateur showcase. I could have listened to every performer all night. I'm still gleaming from their treatment of my tune (Kiela)!

Summer in the City!!! 

It's such an exciting time to be in Chicago. There are zillions of opportunities to participate in community and city planned events. I really feel like I'm part of something genuine and fresh. I hope you've made your way outside...live art...live art.

Hooray for Hollywood! 

Greetings Y'all: KJAZZ (88.1 FM) is airing tracks from “Movin' On" for its Los Angeles area listeners (I listen on line too). I had the pleasure of meeting late night DJ, Jai Rich, while attending the World Stage Jazz Festival last week and he's been playing All I Meant, Go Down Moses and Chase the Clouds Away ever since. THANK YOU JAI!!!!!

Portraits @ The Park West 

Words and Music = POWER I had the wonderful opportunity of working on Portraits on May 3 at the Park West. Writers, performers, students, teachers and people from all walks of life had their “stories of hope and survival" illuminated thru some amazing readers theatre performances. I wrote and performed original songs and transitional themes, directed fellow musicians (Marcin Fahmy, Bryan Doherty, Michael Caskey and Greg Ward) thru the script and augmented the pieces with additional multi-genre music. Mary Morten had producer duties and Illesa Duncan served as director/adaptor. It was great working with them again. “What Will It Take" is a yearlong initiative throughout Illinois headed by the Chicago Foundation for Women. It is based on the idea that in order to find answers, questions must be asked about violence against women and girls. Programming includes community forums, media campaigns and other public awareness events like Portraits.

Chicago Free Press and Illinois Entertainer Reviews 

Greetings Everyone! I feel like sharing! Here we go! GREGG SHAPIRO - Chicago Free Press "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."

AND DEAN RAMOS - Illinois Entertainer says "...the jazzier 'Kiela,' the longing-fueled 'All I Meant,' and her sassy rendition 'Go Down Moses' simply shouldn't be missed." 

Thank you Gentlemen!!

More Reviews and Airplay! 

Spring is in the Air...and so is the music from Movin' On. Theola Bright from WHIL, 91.3 FM ("serving the Gulf Coast of America.") has featured cuts from the CD and says that she especially likes "Go Down Moses." Dusty Durst from KCLC (89.1 FM) in St. Louis says, "Great CD. This Lady has got it! Joy in Listening." AND Kerstin Kroger from Radio Kanal Ratte (104.5) in Schopfheim, Germany has added tunes from Movin' On to the playlists of her weekly show "Across Music." She adds that it is "very fine." It works for me...and brings on a smile to boot. Love and Happiness.

Music & Memories @ Steppenwolf 

Wow! What an amazining experience. Sharing the stage with and passing the mic to blues legend Koko Taylor! I'm still flyin' high! Yesterday afternoon Steppenwolf Theatre was bursting with Chicago history. A brainchild of Sylvia Ewing, Music and Memories featured on stage chats with Koko Taylor, Timuel Black, Tom Burrell, Michael Warr, and Laura Washington. Those conversations were introduced/complemented by music directed and sometimes performed by me. Marcin, Bryan, Michael and Greg rounded out the Quintet and we were joined on stage by blues vocalist, Delores Scott; DJ, Itch 13; and poets Kevin Koval, Amina Hawkins, Avery Young and Sense. We tackled many musical genres and paid homage to the music and musicians of Chicago. It was an honor to share the stage with such historic majesty. Memorable indeed!

"Movin' On" Hits the Waves in the Netherlands and Connecticut!!! 

Happy New Year! Jacques Jongmans, DJ for Dutch Coast Radio (104.5) in the Netherlands, sent me a note recently. He's playing tracks from "Movin' On" on Thursday nights for his listeners in the beach resort town of Zandvoort. Bob Parzych, the jazz coordinator for WRTC (89.3) in Hartford, CT, is spinning it as well and said he "loved the Mangione remake." Yipee!!! (totally)