Ndidi Onukwulu is best known for being a blues artist, but that has never been the best way to describe her work. Given that her latest album, The Contradictor, was made with the help of jazzy roots dudes Jesse Zubot and Steve Dawson, you can bet that the definition of the blues is going to be stretched to its absolute limit. Her acoustic cover of “He Needs Me” has a charming vintage flair, “The Lady & E” is a pretty, minor-key pop number complete with subtle string arrangements, “Forever S2” has a Bourbon Street shuffle, “Cry All Day” has cocktail lounge charm and “Almost JD” lays down shimmering phased guitar leads over a gentle surf beat. Onukwulu’s beautiful smoky voice stacks up to any of the blues greats, but what’s truly impressive is how well it works with any kind of song. Does all this genre-hopping work? The answer is yes, Ndidi.