Emily Braden - Cannon & Sparrow (2023)

Boise-born, Harlem-honed vocalist, songwriter and lyricist Emily Braden’s sound is an effortless blend of jazz and soul. Winner of New York City’s ‘Best of the Best’ Jazzmobile Vocal Competition, she has been a celebrated name on NYC’s music scene for more than a decade.

Braden’s sophomore release Cannon & Sparrow is a vibrant collection of powerful originals and reimagined standards. Both daring and delicate, the album marks the second studio collaboration between Braden and musical partner of more than fifteen years, Misha Piatig- orsky. As producer, pianist, composer and arranger, Piatigorsky expertly spotlights Braden’s vocal freedom and fresh and forward interpretation. The catalyst for Cannon & Sparrow was the passing of Braden’s father within a week of the 2016 presidential election.The recording process began years later and was completed early on in the global pandemic. The songs were largely workshopped in front of international audienc- es over the course of Braden’s residency at NYC’s famed 55 Bar (now closed).

Cannon & Sparrow confronts the truth that it is often the heaviest things in life that jolt us alive. Braden’s vocals shine and soar with an uplifting message of love and resilience in dark times.