Emma Smith | "Bitter Orange"

UK Jazz Vocalist Emma Smith Makes Her Audacious US Debut with Bitter Orange

Reveals Her Complex Inner Life Through a Prism of Modernity and Tradition

Available July 18, 2025 via La Reserve Records

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 captivating the US fans with her forthcoming album, Bitter Orange, due out July 18^th on La Reserve Records. Known for her virtuosic chops and signature vivacious live shows, Smith, who is a multi-million streams artist, is the first UK artist to join the label’s roster and brings a lifetime of stories to these shores.

Bitter Orange is an intimate snapshot of the reality of Smith’s modern inner life with a sound rooted in yesterday — 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.”

Emma was raised in a musically-rich family of accomplished musicians. Her mother played saxophone for Leonard Bernstein and Paul Weller, among others, and her father’s orchestrations were commissioned by The Three Degrees, Herb Miller (brother of Glenn Miller), Princess Diana and King Charles III. But it was her grandfather, Chris Smith Sr., a celebrated East End trombonist, who was her greatest influence. He performed with Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis Jr., Oscar Peterson, and Barbra Streisand, among others. “He never skipped a day’s practice,” Smith recalls. “He taught me that you’re only as good as your last gig.” That discipline, paired with a deep love for the music, became the foundation of Smith’s artistry.

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).

“We’ve been making records and playing shows together for years,” Smith explains. “There’s a real friendship and deep trust between the trio and me. It’s our hope that listeners can hear the camaraderie that exists between us on every track.”

Songs on Bitter Orange include a stripped-down and haunting “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered;” a playful revival of the forgotten Disney Cinderella gem, “I’m in the Middle of a Muddle,” and a meditative medley combining “Funny Face” and “My Funny Valentine.” Smith honors her British heritage with London Pride, composed by Noël Coward during the Blitz. An original song, co-written with Safir, “What Took You So Long?” is the centerpiece of the album and takes its narrative inspiration from Nancy Wilson’s “Guess Who I Saw Today,” while walking its own path.

“We were really moved by the storytelling in that song,” Smith explains. “So we wrote something that captures that dramatic arc but with a narrative voice that feels more like me.”

Recent accolades Smith has won include the 2024 Parliamentary Jazz Vocalist of the Year, and the Jools Holland Boisdale Music Award for Jazz Act of the Year (competing alongside Ezra Collective, Courtney Pine, and Nubya Garcia). She was also a finalist in the 2023 Sarah Vaughan International Vocal Competition, and the only non-U.S. singer in the top five. Her career highlights include collaborations and performances with Michael Bublé, The Quincy Jones Orchestra, Jeff Goldblum’s Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, and Postmodern Jukebox. She is also a longtime member of the internationally acclaimed group, The Puppini Sisters. Having spent four years as a program host for “Jazz Now” on BBC Radio 3, Smith is already a familiar voice to British jazz audiences nationwide.

Smith supports her album release with debut US performances on July 17 at Catalina’s Jazz Club (Los Angeles), and July 19 at the Cultural Center (Palm Springs). Her UK album launch includes four shows at Ronnie Scott’s (London) August 6–7, and additional dates across Europe and North America that will continue throughout 2025 and beyond. She is represented by Music Works International, home to artists including Dianne Reeves, Samara Joy, Emmet Cohen, and Branford Marsalis.

Bitter Orange is a record of contrast — delivered with guts and elegance — from an artist whose story is just beginning in the U.S., but who has spent years laying the groundwork. For American audiences, this is the first chapter. For Smith, it’s a moment she’s been building toward her whole life.

“I feel ready now — secure enough in myself — to be vulnerable through my music and show my edges to the world,” she says. “I’m looking forward to sharing my stories and songs with American jazz fans.”