You know when you hear people say, ‘You’ve got that thing’? [Lizz Wright] always had that thing. She’s just got a presence that commands your attention.
—Kenny Banks Sr.
Last week, on Friday, June 26, jazz vocalist and songwriter Lizz Wright, together with acclaimed pianist Kenny Banks Sr., announced the forthcoming release of their duo album, Nearness, and released the first single, “Soon I Will Be Done.” Set for release on September 25, 2026, on Blues & Greens Records and Candid Records, the 11-track LP of standards and spirituals serves as an intimate showcase of each artist’s talent, as well as their creative connection.
The new single, “Soon I Will Be Done,” is Wright’s take on the landmark spiritual. Speaking on her fresh and courageous interpretation, Wright says, “it feels like taking old tools out of a museum and running them along a grinder and getting them sharp again and shiny. If I do my part in taking them out of historical reference mode, I really can bring something new to them.”
She continues, “I have heard this song since I was a child and I used to think that it was about death. Now I hear it, and it makes me want to dig deeper to unearth all of my strength and figure out what it means for me to live in as much fullness, love and power as I can. To “live with God, to go home,” could really mean to live in love and remember who I am.”
Produced by longtime musical director and esteemed guitarist Chris Bruce, Nearness reveals deep kinship and trust in the forms of Banks' signature arrangements, which serve as an architectural frame for Wright's profound delivery.
The trusted collaborators met decades ago at a jam session in Atlanta and quickly bonded on the strength of their shared background in the church and interests in swinging jazz, R&B, and other music. Recalling his first impressions of Wright, Banks says, “You know when you hear people say, ‘You’ve got that thing’? She always had that thing. She’s just got a presence that commands your attention.”
They have since worked together on releases Banks is central to Wright’s catalogue as he appears on other releases, including Salt (Verve, 2003), and acclaimed records such as Dreaming Wide Awake (Universal Music Group, 2005), The Orchard (Universal Music Group, 2008), Fellowship (Universal Music Group, 2010), Freedom & Surrender (Concord, 2016), Grace (Concord, 2017), and Shadow (Blues & Greens Records, 2024).
The new single, “Soon I Will Be Done,” is Wright’s take on the landmark spiritual. Speaking on her fresh and courageous interpretation, Wright says, “it feels like taking old tools out of a museum and running them along a grinder and getting them sharp again and shiny. If I do my part in taking them out of historical reference mode, I really can bring something new to them.”
She continues, “I have heard this song since I was a child and I used to think that it was about death. Now I hear it, and it makes me want to dig deeper to unearth all of my strength and figure out what it means for me to live in as much fullness, love and power as I can. To “live with God, to go home,” could really mean to live in love and remember who I am.”
Produced by longtime musical director and esteemed guitarist Chris Bruce, Nearness reveals deep kinship and trust in the forms of Banks' signature arrangements, which serve as an architectural frame for Wright's profound delivery.
The trusted collaborators met decades ago at a jam session in Atlanta and quickly bonded on the strength of their shared background in the church and interests in swinging jazz, R&B, and other music. Recalling his first impressions of Wright, Banks says, “You know when you hear people say, ‘You’ve got that thing’? She always had that thing. She’s just got a presence that commands your attention.”
They have since worked together on releases Banks is central to Wright’s catalogue as he appears on other releases, including Salt (Verve, 2003), and acclaimed records such as Dreaming Wide Awake (Universal Music Group, 2005), The Orchard (Universal Music Group, 2008), Fellowship (Universal Music Group, 2010), Freedom & Surrender (Concord, 2016), Grace (Concord, 2017), and Shadow (Blues & Greens Records, 2024).
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