Alison Crockett

Alison Crockett, an R&B vocalist and composer grounded in gospel and jazz traditions, captured top prizes at high school talent events before studying at Temple University and the Manhattan School of Music. Once she completed her Master's degree at MSM, she headed back to Philadelphia, connected with producer King Britt, and joined his Sylk 130 collective. On the group's 1998 album When the Funk Hits the Fan she delivered lead vocals for three tracks, among them the standout ballad "Season's Change." Further sessions followed with Greg Osby, after which she took the front position with Us3 on their 2001 release An Ordinary Day in an Unusual Place. That same year she issued her debut solo project, the EP Azure, under the name Diva Blue. Although guest appearances continued on projects by artists who sought her distinctive voice, Crockett concentrated on her own catalog throughout the 2000s, resulting in On Becoming a Woman (2003) and Bare (2007). Issued in the next decade, Mommy, What's a Depression? (2012) stood as her most candid and wide-ranging statement up to that time.