Jazz vocalist Lezlie Harrison got her start singing gospel in her grandfather’s North Carolina church. After working for years as an actor she decided to return to singing in order to support herself. Today she is a fixture on the New York jazz scene and founder of the Jazz Gallery, a performance space for young musicians.

In this interview she talks about why her music doesn’t easily fall into categories and why the Barnes and Noble order of things should be scrapped. She also discusses her journey from actor to singer and why singing your own songs is a lot harder than reciting someone else’s lines. Harrison’s debut album will be released later this year. Listen to the interview and performance here.