Powerhouse singer Elise LeGrow plays with the classic sounds of R&B.

Why you should listen

With a thunderous rasp, spellbinding style and elegant, dynamic mystique, Elise LeGrow is the Canadian powerhouse defying pop culture chronology -- wowing Questlove, Betty Wright and a crew of R&B legends along the way. She melds fiery passion and sophistication with just a hint of sandpaper grit in a voice that could only belong to a star, no matter the era or genre.

LeGrow's debut album, Playing Chess (S-Curve/BMG), draws from the catalog of Chicago's iconic Chess Records, home to pioneers like Muddy Waters, Etta James, Bo Diddley and Chuck Berry. Rather than faithfully recreate such revered material, LeGrow's interpretations completely transport these classic tracks to a world where the past and present are inextricably intertwined.

Elise LeGrow’s TED talk

More news and ideas from Elise LeGrow

Live from TED2018

Personally speaking: Notes from Session 10 of TED2018

April 14, 2018

​Sketches that speak volumes. When illustrator Christoph Niemann wakes up after falling asleep on an airplane, he says, “I have the most terrible taste in my mouth that cannot be described with words … But it can be drawn.” Then he shows a spot-on sketch of an outstretched tongue with a dead-fish-rat-hybrid creature on it. […]

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