Rachel Smith, Andrew Barnes Jamieson, Kristeena Alder (4/29/23)

Something pure and bright and sweet—that was Lafayette, CA on Saturday night. Inside the cozy theater at Lamorinda Music, Lafayette-born musician, educator and artist Rachel Smith, along with her accompanist Andrew Barnes Jamieson and fellow musician (and creative director, videographer and humorist) Kristeena Alder, breathed fresh air into a packed house for the release of Smith’s Puzzle EP. Spanning old standards, original works and some Michael MacDonald and Roberta Flack covers, Puzzle encompasses something fresh and vibrant, yet wholesomely familiar—a musical back-of-your-hand that evinces a smile every time. Pianist Jamieson’s work in gospel and musical theater is a perfect fit, pairing his divine chord-work with Smith’s earthy and rich vocals. Alder's tongue-in-cheek re-lyricizing of older songs—e.g. Anita Baker's “Sweet Love”, now rendered about wage theft—was a perfect match for Smith’s tender earnestness. Closing the evening with encore song (requested by Smith's friend in the audience), the highly infectious and hilariously sardonic, “What’s Happening To My Body?”, Smith proves it’s not about the size of a room, but the warmth of the hearts inside. Check out her EP here.