October 3, 2025: Today, Grammy-winning vocalist Ledisi released her new album For Dinah, her tribute to the great Dinah Washington, on Candid Records. Produced by jazz heavyweight Christian McBride and Ledisi’s longtime producer Rex Rideout, the album blends Ledisi’s signature soul with Washington’s bold spirit, reclaiming space for a pioneer who made it possible for women like her to thrive. The album features standout collaborations, including a duet with Grammy-winning vocalist Gregory Porter and appearances by top-tier musicians like Paul Jackson Jr. and rising star Michael King. Along with the release, Ledisi has shared a live video of her and Paul Jackson Jr. performing “You Go To My Head.”
Like every triumphantly gifted female singer who has transcended barriers, Ledisi is a child of Dinah Washington. “She gave me permission to move freely, create freely, be a woman in leadership, wear and say what I want,” explains Ledisi. “Before there was Aretha, there was Dinah. She deserves to be recognized in today’s music as well. So instead of asking me ‘Why Dinah?,’ you should be asking ‘Why not Dinah?’”
Born in New Orleans and shaped by the Bay Area, Ledisi has emerged as a leading voice in contemporary R&B. She’s earned a Grammy win, 14 nominations, and widespread acclaim for portraying her musical heroes on stage, record, and screen — including Mahalia Jackson in Selma and Remember Me. Her most recent Grammy nod was for Ledisi Sings Nina, a tribute praised by The New York Times for capturing both Nina Simone’s depth and Ledisi’s own stunning vocal range. As the critic Salamishah Tillet pointed out in their glowing profile, Ledisi Sings Nina lifts up “the diversity and depth of Simone’s musicianship and the breathtaking range and reach of Ledisi’s own voice.”
Ledisi describes her connection to Dinah Washington’s music as deeply personal, offering a space to fully embrace and express her femininity. “There’s a sensuality in this music,” she says, “in my fur, my curves, the tightness of my dress — and in how I move with the music.” Ultimately, For Dinah is Ledisi’s tribute to representation and resilience. She sees herself in Washington’s struggle for acceptance in a male-dominated industry, as a dark-skinned woman navigating similar challenges. “I felt her pain, her rejection,” Ledisi says. “This is where I come from — and this is my way of saying her name out loud.”
Ledisi is set to play a number of shows this fall in support of For Dinah including an album release show tonight at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles. See full list of tour dates below.
For Dinah Tracklist:
1. What A Difference A Day Made
2. If I Never Get To Heaven
3. Caravan
4. Let’s Do It
5. You Don’t Know What Love Is feat. Christian McBride
6. You’ve Got What It Takes feat. Gregory Porter
7. You Go To My Head feat. Paul Jackson Jr.
8. The Bitter Earth
