"There are relatively few contemporary female vocalists who evoke Peggy Lee, at least not genuinely. Suzanna Smith numbers among that rare ilk. That Smith sounds like Lee — slightly breathy and warmly sensual with a hint of huskiness — is undeniable, but the parallels extend much further. Lee’s ability to not just caress a ballad but smother it in mink has seldom been matched. She was also a sage swinger — never too much, never too little — as well as a first-rate songwriter. Smith checks all those boxes."

— Christopher Louden, Jazz Times

Drawing upon timeless influences such as Peggy Lee, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Shirley Horn and Helen Merrill, Suzanna Smith infuses songs with a style that’s pure, unadorned and soulfully subtle.

Ms. Smith leads The Peggy Lee Project, a collective dedicated to exploring the repertoire of Peggy Lee as both singer and lyricist. In 2022, The Peggy Lee Project was featured in the 39th Annual San Francisco Jazz Festival as part of SFJAZZ’s Centennial Celebration of Peggy Lee.

Smith’s second album, A New Day: The Peggy Lee Project from 2023 proves a successful follow up to her debut album Halfway Between Heaven & Love. Both present sage treatments of standards and showcase Smith’s talent for crafting original compositions and new lyrics to jazz instrumentals.

Smith’s approach was honed working closely with vocalists Laurie Antonioli and Madeline Eastman at The California Jazz Conservatory, in private study with esteemed vocalist Kitty Margolis and through the time-honored jazz tradition of many nights on the bandstand.

Lee Bloom (piano)- Ruth Davies (bass)- Jon Arkin (drums)

Tickets at Suzanna Smith Quartet