Dida Pelled – I Wish You Would (La Reserve, 2026)
Brooklyn guitarist, vocalist, and songwriter Dida Pelled will release I Wish You Would on May 1, 2026. The nine-track album presents Pelled’s jazzy interpretations of classic blues and related repertoire, with selections connected to writers and performers such as Howlin’ Wolf, Billy Boy Arnold, John Lee Hooker, Dave Van Ronk, John Hammond, and Jorma Kaukonen.
Dida sings in a timeless, captivating style that recalls early jazz artists like Billie Holiday. Her jazz-guitar style is equally elegant and skillful.
The album also pulls from jazz and blues-related musicians, including pianist and composer Mary Lou Williams, Buddy Johnson, and songwriter Gladys Shelley.
Pelled records with a basic trio: pianist Sullivan Fortner, bassist Tony Scherr, and drummer Kenny Wollesen.
The title track is originally associated with Billy Boy Arnold and later revisited by artists including Eric Clapton and David Bowie, Pelled cites Jelly Roll Morton’s rendition of “Hesitation Blues” as a key reference point for her approach.
Highlights include Mary Lou Williams’ “Rosa Mae,” sourced from Williams’ late-period work, and “Sister Kate,” a 1922 tune often connected to early jazz history. “Since I Fell For You” leans toward a restrained vocal, while “Sittin’ on Top of the World” plays contrast between lyric and tempo. “Trouble,” credited to Gladys Shelley, arrives via Scherr, who learned the song through his work with Dakota Staton and later brought it to Pelled.
Pelled said the project grew out of songs she and her band already performed live, then narrowed into a recorded sequence after focused selection.
Author: Iliana Cabrera
