About Lucy Smith:

Lucy Smith is a singer, composer, bandleader, cultural programmer, and producer whose quartet/quintet is a dynamic part of Chicago’s music scene. She was born and raised in the Englewood community on the South Side of Chicago. Her musical collaborations include works for theatre, film, and spoken word productions. She leads a myriad of musical combinations exploring the worlds of traditional jazz, blues, gospel, and other popular music. She worked for eight years as the music director for Chicago’s Fourth Presbyterian’s “Jazz at Four” service, where she created a new jazz-infused paradigm for worship while rearranging centuries-old hymns and keeping alive the legacy of sacred jazz music. Lucy works collaboratively with Chicago media personality, Cheryl Corley, on projects that combine music, history and spoken word. They include: Chicago Bound: The Great Migration of the Blues; Chicago’s Soul: The Words and Music of Gwendolyn Brooks and Curtis Mayfield; and Shout OUT: A Tribute to Gays in Gospel Music.

Lucy’s other music director work includes projects at the Park West Theatre, Goodman Theatre, and Steppenwolf Theatre, where she shared the stage with blues legend Koko Taylor and others. She has composed and performed music for the feature film Hannah Free and the documentary Woke Up Black. She cast and directed a reader’s theatre production of Jewell Parker Rhodes' Ghost Boy. Lucy was the lead vocalist for the Center for Black Music Research's Stop-Time Ensemble (Columbia College) and the Concord Orchestra. Lucy performs often for organizations working on social and economic justice issues