There are singers, and then there’s Ledisi — an artist whose voice doesn’t just fill a room; it inhabits it. On a cool Los Angeles night, the Walt Disney Concert Hall became a time capsule as Ledisi honored the legendary Dinah Washington, promoting her new album “For Dinah” with a performance that was part history lesson, part masterclass in vocal artistry.

From the opening notes of “Our Love Is Here to Stay,” it was clear this wasn’t going to be a paint-by-numbers tribute. Ledisi’s voice — agile, commanding, deeply expressive — became an instrument of limitless range. She scatted, swooped, went husky, soared high, and dropped low with an ease that felt almost unfair. This was the kind of concert we rarely get anymore: unapologetically steeped in jazz tradition yet alive with emotional immediacy.

“This was the kind of concert we rarely get anymore: unapologetically steeped in jazz tradition yet alive with emotional immediacy.”

“What a Difference a Day Makes” shimmered with warmth, followed by a blistering “If I Never Get to Heaven,” where Ledisi’s scatting brought the house down. The room hushed for “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” a haunting centerpiece that turned heartbreak into an art form. Just as the air got heavy, she’d pivot, lightening the mood with the playful swing of “Baby, You’ve Got What It Takes.”

In paying homage to Dinah, Ledisi also tipped her hat to Dinah’s musical descendants. On “Don’t Go to Strangers,” she channeled Chaka Khan’s sensuality; on “Nobody Knows the Way I Feel,” she summoned the raw, bluesy soul of Aretha. And when violinist Dr. Chelsey Green joined her for “This Bitter Earth,” the result was transcendent, a lament for all that is fragile and fleeting, yet defiantly beautiful.

By the time the final notes faded, the audience knew they’d witnessed something rare: a singer at the height of her powers reminding us why Dinah Washington mattered — and why Ledisi does too.

— G. Dhalla

More on Ledisi at https://www.ledisi.com/

More on concerts at the Walt Disney Concert Hall at https://www.laphil.com/