Ledisi celebrates with holiday album, tour

Grammy-nominated R&B singer/songwriter Ledisi will get a chance to showcase material from her new Christmas album when she heads out on a holiday tour next month.

The 10-city trek is scheduled to launch Dec. 4 in Durham, NC, and visit US clubs and theaters from coast to coast through Dec. 23. Stops include a four-night stand in San Francisco and a two-night finale in Annapolis, MD. Ledisi has also started making plans for next year, with Jan. 19-20 performances booked in Alexandria, VA. Her full itinerary is included below.

Ledisi's sophomore effort for Verve, "It's Christmas," marries pop, R&B, soul and gospel to interpret holiday standards and introduce four original songs co-written by the singer. The set includes versions of "What a Wonderful World" featuring trumpeter Christian Scott, "Please Come Home for Christmas" with modern bluesman Keb' Mo', and "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" with the Perri Sisters. One of the original tracks, "Be There for Christmas," is streaming at Ledisi's MySpace page.

With "It's Christmas," the Oakland, CA-native said she wanted to create the perfect soundtrack for the enchanted hours after the holiday party.

"I wanted the album to have that classic '50s feel to it but with an added sexiness," Ledisi explained in a statement. "I hope it will help people to really enjoy this time of year."

The singer/actress has her own reasons to celebrate this time of year, as she gives thanks for her recent whirlwind of success. Ledisi's 2007 Verve debut, "Lost & Found," garnered two Grammy nominations this year, including Best New Artist, and the recognition led to a series of high-profile appearances at events including the JVC and Monterey Jazz festivals, the Essence Music Festival and Coachella. She also scored a role in the George Clooney film "Leatherheads," a song in the Tyler Perry film "Meet The Browns" and a performance on NBC-TV's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno."

Ledisi is currently up for Female Vocalist of the Year at this month's BET J Virtual Awards.