Alice Smith

Sun., Jan. 25, 6:30 and 9 p.m., $20, Tin Angel, 20 S. Second St., 215-928-0770, tinangel.com.

by Deesha Dyer

SOUL/JAZZ

Alice Smith sings notes that, honestly, aren't usually enjoyable to the common ear. Somehow she makes them seem like the sweetest thing. The D.C. native-turned-Brooklynite is continuing to creep up on the soul and jazz spectrum with her four-octave voice. Her 2006 debut, For Lovers, Dreamers & Me (BBE), challenged the dried-up neo-soul scene with singles like "Love Endeavor" and "Fake Is the New Real." Another track from that album, "Dream," scored her a Grammy nomination for Best Urban/Alternative Performance. Even so, she lingered on the edge of the spotlight, until she hit the road alongside Citizen Cope, Lenny Kravitz and Santogold. Smith still may be in the shadows of the big voices you hear pumped over the airwaves, but once you hear her belt out a ballad, you'll want to hear more.

Sun., Jan. 25, 6:30 and 9 p.m., $20, Tin Angel, 20 S. Second St., 215-928-0770, tinangel.com.