Candice Ivory is an artist with deep roots in blues and gospel, who has great breadth in her songwriting and creativity.
All her original albums cover soul , jazz , neo-soul -as well as blues and gospel on her latest which interprets the songs of Memphis Minnie.
It’s almost too hard to characterize any one style as she explores all genres.
She is a respected academic and also an artist in the literal sense of the word by creating paintings that echo her soulful roots.
She was born near Memphis, TN, to a family steeped in the musical traditions of the Mississippi Delta. Several family members belonged to prominent gospel groups such as the Salem Harmonizers, and her great-uncle Will Roy Sanders was an internationally known blues singer.
Over the years she has forged her own sound and style.
Her 2003 album “Path-Undefined” and the title cut of the same name ,wash over you with an introspective lyric. She wrote all the songs and plays delicate synths and keys that compliment the smooth vocals.
The production on the album is smooth with beautiful jazz guitar that pull you in with songs that reflect real life ,especially on songs like “Late Night Quarrel”.
Theres a vulnerability in the vocal that conveys all the emotion that’s felt.
She reveals a whole new sound on “When the Levee Breaks: The Music of Memphis Minnie” - her latest release that has been garnering critical acclaim worldwide.
She interprets the music of the blues legend - yet puts her own stamp on the tunes she has selected.
She has a plaintive urgency in her vocals that work so well with the “in the pocket” shuffle feel courtesy of respected guitarist Charlie Hunter and ace drummer George Sluppick.
This is how she describes her creative process:
“I call myself a southern surrealist. To me this means there is quite a lot of intuition, imagination, and magic involved in my creative process. I get ideas from all sorts of places and usually when I'm in the mode of creating it's like improvisation, in that ideas come really quickly and I riff off of them.
I like to take writing retreats and I also enjoy "pre-production," where I develop several recorded versions of the same song.
I will write a song but no one should ever expect to hear it performed the same way twice. I try to be true to the moment and the needs of myself and the audience. And even though I'm a songwriter, my greatest joy comes from the collaborative spirit of having other musicians bring themselves into the song.
Nothing pleases me more than hearing my ideas taken further by others. That's truly inspirational. I know so many creative and innovative people and I believe that everyone regardless of musical knowledge has something to say.
Sometimes I approach songwriting as a game. I'll make up themes or write poems or pull words out of a hat. Sometimes I wake up with a full song in my head. There have been times when I see a painting or hear a phrase that compels me. I used to throw parties with musicians where we would just get together and eat and fellowship and create or share new ideas. Post-pandemic none of that has been going on and I do miss it.
Since that time, I have heavily relied on the great poets/writers and stillness of nature for my writing inspiration. I think the feeling of my feet in the soil definitely brought me back to the blues because most of the pandemic I was in the country walking barefoot a lot and thinking about the land and my family.
My favorite place to write is in front of a piano. I absolutely adore the piano, in part because it was my first instrument. I think about it as much as the voice. As a child and even now, I have a hard time staying away from it, plus there were several great pianists in my family.
I try to listen to everything I can get my ears on. I love music of all kinds and styles and want to hear everyone's stories. Learning about others helps me express myself and enables me to connect my music with people from all walks of life and that's the most important thing to me.”
In conclusion, Candice is a serious songwriter and performer that traverses many genres with ease.
May the magic of her creative process continue to flourish and yield more authentic music!
Check out more info here: