Celebrated British jazz vocalist Emma Smith, already a musical force with a devoted and ever-growing following in the UK and European markets, embarks on her latest album, Bitter Orange. An intimate snapshot of the reality of Smith’s modern inner life with a sound rooted in yesterday, the album takes the glamour and the introspection of a self-making woman trying to be heard and make an impact.

“This album is my space to play with the juxtaposition of bitter and sweet, the humor and heartbreak that punctuate my life — the ups and downs, the wins and the losses,” she says. “There’s camp ridiculousness and raw vulnerability — and somehow, all of that is me.”

Bitter Orange pays homage to Emma’s musical inspirations including Ella Fitzgerald, Julie London, Oscar Peterson, and British jazz royalty Dame Cleo Laine but with a sound distinctly her own. Smith and her trio have been seamlessly playing together for over a decade. The trio includes pianist and co-producer Jamie Safir, (Kylie Minogue and Claire Martin OBE), double bassist Conor Chaplin, (Jacob Collier) and drummer Luke Tomlinson (a guest member of the NDR Big Band).