Former OffBeat cover star Ingrid Lucia has been awarded funding from the Threadhead Cultural Foundation as part of its Round 17 grant cycle.

Lucia’s project, the 39th funded in the current round, will support the recording of Lotus in the Asphalt Jungle, her 14th studio album and first vinyl release. The LP will feature 12 original compositions written by Lucia and recorded over four days in the studio with a lineup that includes Trombone Shorty, Kermit Ruffins, Damion Neville, Delfeayo Marsalis, Shamarr Allen, Caleb Tokarska, Jermal Watson, Cameron Watson and Josh Hawkins.

In the past, Lucia has honed her jazz vocal chops in New York with the band, the Flying Neutrinos, and with top talent like Tony Bennett, and today she remains a force in her home town New Orleans with her confident, silky voice, glamorous outlook, and blend of jazz standards and original tunes. In 2024, she published a memoir via Westview Publishing titled, The Big Time: A Memoir. In an interview with OffBeat’s Brett Milano, she confessed that she had “been dissed in New Orleans for writing ‘novels’ on social media.” So the artist found a literary method to channel her words instead.

Described as a pop-leaning collection infused with New Orleans rhythms and sensibilities, the album is envisioned as a cohesive vinyl art piece for Lucia’s international audience. “My goal for this vinyl is to sell a firsthand art piece to my big fan base around the world,” Lucia said in a statement. “Also, I am sober six years and singing my very best to date.”

The Threadhead Cultural Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 2009 to support and preserve the cultural heritage of New Orleans and surrounding Louisiana. The foundation provides grants and assistance to musicians, artists, and other creative projects that promote, preserve, and share the region’s artistic traditions. Funding comes from memberships, donations, and fundraising events, with grants awarded annually through an application process.

Additional information about Lucia is available at her official website, and supporters can learn more about the Threadhead Cultural Foundation’s grant programs at thcfnola.org.