BOSTON– Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Alice Smith will take the stage at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum on Oct. 12 as part of the third season of RISE, the Museum’s increasingly popular pop, rock, and hip-hop music series that features emerging talent and young artists. Berklee graduate, Cedric Jackson II, will be opening for Alice Smith.
Smith’s career began when she was discovered by the head of BBE Records while in the studio recording backup vocals for a band. As a college student at Fordham University, she received a record deal and was quickly thrust into the industry, working, writing, and performing.
In 2006, Smith released her first studio album, “Got Lovers, Dreamers & Me,” a mix of rock, soul, and R&B. That same year, she appeared on “Haunted by Her Yesterdays,” a track produced by Logistics, of drum’n’bass, and her song “Dream,” was featured in episodes of hit television shows, “Entourage” and “The L Word.” Her musical style has been compared to Alicia Keys and Norah Jones. Rolling Stone magazine listed Smith as one of the rising 10 artists to watch. The following year, she was nominated in the urban/alternative category for a Grammy Award.
Pressure to produce a second successful album delayed future recordings and ultimately led Smith to take a break from the spotlight and raise a family. In the years to follow, Smith contributed a track to the Red Hot Organization’s charitable album, “Red Hot + Rio 2,” to raise awareness and funds in the fight against AIDS/HIV. She released her second album, “She,” and performed with Doyle Bramhall II at Madison Square Gardens during the Eric Clapton Crossroads Guitar Festival. In 2014, Prince released her version of “Another Love” on his album, “3rdeyegirl, Plectrumelectrum, and she performed at AfroPunk Fest. She continues to tour and perform across the United States.
Cedric Jackson II, a Berklee College of Music graduate, will open for RISE. At the age of 5, the aspiring singer-songwriter made his solo vocal debut in his hometown church where his father was the pastor. However, it wasn’t until the age of 12, when his mother became disabled, that he discovered music as an outlet. In 2014, Jackson debuted his first single, “We Run We Fall We Rise,” followed by the release of his first music video for his next single, “Dreams,” previewing his first EP. In 2016, he graduated from Berklee with a degree in professional music with concentrations in songwriting and music therapy.
RISE concerts begin at 7 p.m. Award-winning and Boston-based DJ Leah V will be the house DJ for every RISE concert this season The RISE music series started last year in an effort to bring pop, rock, and hip hop music into the Museum’s sonic cube, Calderwood Hall, and is curated by musicians Shea Rose and Simone Scazzocchio. This year, in an effort to support and engage local emerging artists, the Gardner partnered with Berklee College of Music to bring in Berklee students and alumni to perform at RISE concerts.
Tickets are required for RISE and include Museum admission. Admission is $27 for adults; $24 for seniors; $17 for members; $12 students and children; and youth age 7 and under not admitted. For information or to purchase tickets in advance, visit www.gardnermuseum.org or call 617-278-5156.
