Podcast Summary: All Of It – Ledisi's Dinah Washington Tribute

Date: October 29, 2025
Host: Alison Stewart (WNYC)
Guest: Ledisi (Grammy Award-Winning Vocalist)
Episode Theme: Ledisi discusses her tribute album to Dinah Washington, the legacy of a jazz icon, the art of reinterpretation, and creative risk-taking in modern music.

Episode Overview

This episode centers on Ledisi's deep admiration for Dinah Washington and the release of her tribute album, For Dinah. Through candid conversation and select performances, Ledisi illuminates Washington’s influence on her artistry, her approach to reimagining classics, and the unique challenges of paying homage without losing one's own voice. The episode is an exploration of cultural lineage, representation, and authenticity in the music industry.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Ledisi’s Motivation for Tribute Albums

• Documenting Musical History:

  • Ledisi describes her passion for “reminding the newer generation of history” and amplifying the voices of often overlooked Black women in music.
  • “We hear [Dinah’s] voice a lot in film and television, but we'd never hear her name. So, like, to me, she should be spoken up like Aretha all the time.” (01:43–02:23)

• Personal Connection and Representation:

  • The first time Ledisi heard Dinah Washington (“Teach Me Tonight”) made her feel seen:
  • “She looks like me, she feels like me. She gave me permission to just be myself and not worry about what other people think of how I approach a song.” (02:35–03:15)

Dinah Washington’s Technique & Impact

• Signature Vocal “Dynaisms”:
  • Church-influenced vocalizations, bouncy word attacks, and a powerful first note are elements Ledisi admires.
  • “Her first note, just like Aretha. The first phrase... should get your attention.” (03:16–03:58)
• On Lyrics & Delivery:
  • “Her voice gave every word a feeling. And that's why I paid attention to lyric.” (04:05–04:29)

Taking Creative Risks and Leadership

• Leadership through Expression:
  • Dinah as a model for creative freedom and risk, inspiring Ledisi’s own daring career moves.
  • “Taking risk. Yeah, took a lot of risk. Uncertainty of two albums in one year, that's crazy... I'm more than [just R&B]... I'm gonna do whatever feels good to me. She did what felt good to her.” (04:46–05:39)
  • The power of asserting boundaries as an artist:
    • “No, it’s a full sentence and it’s joyful.” (05:39–05:43)

The Making of For Dinah

• Song Selection & Adaptation:
  • Shrinking a list from 32 to just 8 tracks was both difficult and necessary to maintain album coherence. (10:32–11:16)
• Musical Collaborations:
  • Christian McBride (arrangements) and Rex Rideout (vocal production) played pivotal roles.
  • “Rex made sure I was Letisi throughout and not so much Dinah... You're just tributing. You're not trying to be her.” (09:18–09:56)
• Staying Authentic While Honoring:
  • Finding the line between tribute and mimicry—with Rex providing necessary reminders:
    • “When I get emotional and involved in the song so much, I just leave myself. And he reminds me, hey, hey, don’t forget about you.” (09:56–10:24)

Example: "You Go To My Head"

• Arrangement Approach:
  • More mellow and acoustic than Dinah’s original, with a relaxed “brown liquor” vibe to match the song’s mood.
  • (08:05–09:13)
• Producer’s Guardrails:
  • Rex Rideout helps Ledisi maintain her unique voice, preventing complete immersion into the subject of the tribute. (09:18–09:56)

Example: "Caravan"

• Technical Challenges:

  • “The hardest song was to record was Caravan... The pitches. Where to go. Ellington is like... Like when you're studying Mozart or, you know, Bach.” (11:18–11:54)
  • Ledisi channeled a trumpet’s approach to nail the performance. (11:55–12:00)

• Importance of Vocal Technique:

  • “All my opera training came in good... You want to make it sound effortless, but it’s not. It’s work.” (13:24–13:42)

Representation & Industry Realities

• On Dinah’s Visibility:

  • Washington’s struggles in an industry biased against fuller-figured Black women are deeply personal for Ledisi.
  • “The world said ... you’re not pretty enough, you’re not good enough... Or that my voice and my talent wasn’t enough, you know, how I looked was more important than who I am as a person. And she fought for all of that space.” (14:55–15:59)

• Personal Empowerment:

  • Ledisi is inspired to love herself at every stage, battling against industry pressures for a specific look.
  • (15:59–16:32)
  • “I'm so glad I stayed. I've tried to quit several times. ... I'm glad I stayed.” (16:43–17:13)

Special Moments and Notable Quotes

“You Go To My Head” Performance

• (06:44–08:05)
• Soft, acoustic reinterpretation, with Letisi’s “mellow” phrasing.

Insight on “Bitter Earth”

• Elton John’s praise for her arrangement and her own surprise at the track’s global impact:
  • “And Elton John called me and was like, I love the song. I love what you did. ... I never knew this one little song that I've been listening to Dinah sing in every film... Now I get to do my version in a more relevant version of it.” (17:22–18:07)

“What a Difference a Day Makes” as Outro

• (22:10–23:10)
• Ledisi brings the episode home with her take on a Dinah classic.

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:43] Motivation for Dinah tribute; representation in pop culture
• [02:35] First time Ledisi heard Dinah and its impact
• [03:16] The “dynaisms” of Dinah’s voice: technical marvels
• [04:46] How Dinah’s example inspired Ledisi’s risks and independence
• [06:26] Introduction to “You Go To My Head” performance
• [08:05] Comparing Ledisi’s and Dinah’s versions: arranging for self-expression
• [09:18] How Rex Rideout kept Ledisi anchored in her own voice
• [10:32] The difficulty of narrowing down song selections
• [11:18] Why “Caravan” was the hardest to record
• [13:24] The use of opera training in approaching jazz standards
• [14:55] Discussion of Dinah’s boldness and representation; impact on Ledisi
• [17:22] “Bitter Earth” arrangement and Elton John’s recognition
• [21:13] Upcoming performances and revisiting her album "Wild Card"
• [22:10] “What a Difference a Day Makes” performance outro

Memorable Quotes with Attributions

• “We hear her voice a lot in film and television, but we'd never hear her name. So, like, to me, she should be spoken up like Aretha all the time.”
  — Ledisi (01:43)

• “She gave me permission to just be myself and not worry about what other people think of how I approach a song.”
  — Ledisi (02:43)

• “Her voice gave every word a feeling.”
  — Ledisi (04:05)

• “No, it’s a full sentence and it’s joyful. It has glee along with it.”
  — Ledisi (05:39)

• “Tributes can come off kind of campy and try too hard. This one I didn't want. I wanted to be myself.”
  — Ledisi (11:16)

• “The world said something different… You're not pretty enough, you're not good enough, you'll never make it in this industry.”
  — Ledisi (15:00)

• “I'm so glad I stayed. I've tried to quit several times. ... I'm glad I stayed.”
  — Ledisi (16:43)

Takeaways

• Ledisi’s For Dinah is an act of reclamation and veneration, bringing Dinah Washington’s brilliance to new audiences while asserting the contemporary artist’s own identity.
• The episode underscores the persistence required to overcome industry biases and remain authentic as a Black woman artist.
• Collaborative artistry (with Christian McBride, Rex Rideout, etc.) can safeguard a performer’s originality even in homage projects.
• The conversation is filled with warmth, laughter, technical insight, and reverence—a moving blend of history and present-day artistry.

For listeners and non-listeners alike, this episode offers an intimate look into how jazz legacies are both preserved and transformed by artists determined to “say her name loud and clear.”