On Monday, February 16th, at Blue Note Jazz Club, Willow Smith offered a small audience an intimate first listen to her newest album, “petal rock black.” Known for her unique vocal style, Willow used the legendary jazz venue to introduce a project that leans fully into jazz techniques while maintaining her grungy roots. The setting felt intentional. Blue Note’s Los Angeles location, newly opened this year, joins a lineage of rooms that have hosted icons like Stevie Wonder, Liza Minnelli, and Dizzy Gillespie—a fitting backdrop for an artist stepping deeper into her musicianship. This venue is also very collaborative, with past other artists coming to enjoy but also jumping on stage when called upon to create something new.
She opened with “hear me out,” live-layering her vocals in real time, building the song piece by piece before the audience. It immediately showcased her control and experimentation: stacked harmonies, airy runs, and complex vocal jumps. Sparse arrangements defined the night, honoring the Jazz Club environment, with her drummer and pianist taking extended, expressive solos that transformed the set beyond just a standard album preview. Her drummer, in particular, earned a standing ovation for a solo that felt emotionally raw and intense.
When the album officially dropped days later, the feature list added a new dimension to what we had heard live. The project includes Kamasi Washington, George Clinton, and Tune-Yards—a diverse lineup. Tune-Yards’ scattered, rhythm-forward sound feels similar to Willow’s. George Clinton’s presence carries historical weight: a revolutionary force in funk and R&B, he narrates a poem on the opening track, “petal rock black,” with lines that echo later in songs like “ear to the eocoon.”
Live, “Sitting Silently” was a standout, with its haunting staccato piano and vocals, and “ear to the cocoon” followed with a sense of grandeur and joy emanating from Willow’s performance. However, “not a fantasy” is the track I will be replaying for the coming weeks.
The Blue Note performance didn’t feel like a promotional stop but a statement. Willow Smith is expanding her artistry in real time, honoring jazz traditions while reshaping it through her own alternative lens. In a crowded room in Hollywood, I felt like I was discovering a small artist for the first time, not the global star that we know Willow to be.