Nicole Henry

Nicole Henry has won praise from both critics and audiences worldwide for her powerful ability to truly touch and inspire people with her beautiful voice and stunning presence. She has released three international TOP 10-selling jazz CDs within the past five years and has toured in over ten countries. Jazz Improv writes, “…beautiful, emotionally evocative…a terrific voice and a sensitive way with a lyric.” It’s with that same sensitivity that Nicole Henry mesmerizes audiences wherever she goes. Uplifting and captivating, her voice embraces jazz, pop and soulful nuances with a spirited ‘joie de vivre.” Born in Philadelphia, Nicole was raised in the arts haven of Bucks County. After graduating from the University of Miami, Nicole performed throughout Miami singing pop, soul and original music, winning local awards and lending her voice to recordings. In 2004, after falling in love with the melodies, lyrics and freedom of jazz, Nicole released her solo debut CD The Nearness of You to critical acclaim. In the U.S., Nicole received rave reviews and airplay on national jazz radio, including XM and Sirius Satellite Radio. In Japan, after climbing to #2 on HMV Japan Jazz Charts, and staying in the TOP 10 for three months HMV Japan named Nicole “Best New Jazz Artist of 2004.” Her follow-up CD, Teach Me Tonight with the Eddie Higgins Trio reached #1 at HMV Japan, and earned her their honor of “Best Vocal Jazz Album of 2005.” Nicole’s latest CD release, The Very Thought of You reached #7 on the U.S. Billboard Jazz Chart in September 2008, positioned between Diana Krall and Tony Bennett. This romantic CD features love songs, originals and gems from the great American Songbook. It was produced by music veteran Hal Batt (Regina Belle, Jean Carne, Julio Iglesias) with an assist from Executive Creative Producer Don Mizell (co-producer of Ray Charles’ Genius Loves Company). Nicole’s...

Gabriela Anders

Gabriela Anders was born into a family of musicians. The Argentinean native studied classical guitar and piano in Buenos Aires while listening closely to her father, jazz saxophonist Jorge Anders. “There were so many influences when I was growing up, and I wanted to do something with them all. My father’s concerts and studio work certainly affected me, as did the music of Brazil— it’s so harmonically rich and so interesting melodically. ” After high school, Anders decided to continue her studies in New York. After a short while, she started to do studio and club work. This work lead to two recording projects with top producer Sergio George under the name Beleza. Through Sergio, she had the opportunity to sing for Grover Washington, Jr., Marc Anthony, Celia Cruz & DLG. Her ongoing exposure to music of various sensibilities and her innate ability to fuse styles and formats were abundantly revealed in a few demo tracks she made on the cheap. Shortly thereafter, the stunning beauty became one of the only artists ever signed to Warner Bros. from unsolicited material. Her first appearance on the Warner Bros. sampler JAZZ CHRISTMAS PARTY (1998) was followed by Gabriela’s 1999 debut,  Wanting is brimming with vocal subtlety; although smooth, it is anything but simple (she wrote ten of the twelve tracks). Gabriela Anders continued a journey of musical excellence and introspection with her releases, Eclectica, a collection of brazilian, rhythm’n blues and jazz- influenced songs andLatina, an all spanish adventure. The new Gabriela Anders CD, Bossa Beleza, blends her own immediately recognizable sound with that of her first musical love, classic Bossa Nova. Eleven soulful and intimate tracks, including the Brazilian standards “Dindi”, “Folhas Secas”, “One Note Samba” and “Agua de Beber”, as well as Gabriela’s take on the Rolling Stones’ “Satisfaction” and Earth, Wind and Fire’s “September,” plus three original songs, are all infused with the beautiful Bossa Nova sound so famously popularized in the...

Lorraine Feather, Ages

As the daughter of respected jazz critic, Leonard Feather, Lorraine Feather comes to her jazz pedigree honestly, but more from natural talent than dogged filial loyalty. In possession of a pure, rich voice, she tried acting—along with some discouraging stints in the food industry—before finding her multi-colored niche in singing and composing. Ages, about the epochs that women of “a certain age” look back on, is full of artistry and humor. Co-written with Yellowjackets pianist/arranger Russell Ferrante, guitarist Eddie Arkin, pianist Shelly Berg, banjoist Bela Fleck and pianist/arrangerDick Hyman, Feather plays the light-hearted schoolgirl, then revolves back to a deep-hearted but not cloying look at ages long lost. “I Forgot To Have Children” is a great tongue-in-cheek look at an issue that nary a single woman has not considered when looking at the end of their culture- driven “shelf life.” Yet it’s not a clichéd look, either. Her lyrical arabesques can elicit moments of pensive thought as well as guffaws of laughter. With musical dexterity—a very credible tribute to the 1890’s pop musical ballads with “The Girl With the Lazy Eye”—she comments on anything from the girl who doesn’t fit in the usual cliques in high school to the surprised commentary that all have asked, “How Did We End Up Here?” From straight-ahead mainstream jazz to ballads that defy a sugary overlay, then to an elegant bossa nova, Feather’s back-up musicians easily keep pace with her strong, smooth vocals. With bassist Michael Valerio and vibraphonist Bob Leatherbarrow augmenting the rest of the group, their originality meets Feather where she lives, in an intelligent, witty, sometimes pathos-ridden world. That, in the end, is what shines on Ages. This is not a “chick’s album.” Yes, there are the inevitable songs about significant relationships, but none are hackneyed or gender-driven. No more can be asked than that Lorraine Feather has produced a polished yet very engaging look at this life. It...

Joe Locke with Kenny Washington, For the Love of You

There’s a world of a difference between being a masterful instrumental accompanist and collaborating with a singer. Beyond the prerequisite set of ears and in-the-moment intuition, a deeper appreciation of the meaning of the lyrics—in order to truly find a song’s core—becomes even more essential than in instrumental readings. Vibraphonist Joe Locke has, more than most, a profound ability to get to the heart of a song—in particular, songs beyond the typical jazz purview—whether it’s in an instrumental setting or with a vocalist. Just as he did with previous albums like the aptly titled Storytelling (Sirocco, 2001), Locke’s For the Love of You combines material from the Great American Songbook with more contemporary fare—this time by The Isley Brothers and Neil Young—as well as Ennio Morricone’s often-covered theme to Giusseppe Tornatore’s modern film classic, Cinema Paradiso (1988). Also featuring three Locke originals, For the Love of You brings together an ace quartet of friends old and new, as well as singer Kenny Washington on eight of its 10 tracks. While his broad vocal range and jazz background make Washington an ideal vocal mate for Locke’s richly harmonized arrangements, he’s also a singer who thankfully avoids unnecessary vocal gymnastics. Instead, with a voice that loosely resembles Stevie Wonder but with greater restraint, Washington breathes new life into the lyrics to Mandel’s and Webster’s enduring “The Shadow of Your Smile”—a song that could be considered past its prime but which, with Locke’s unexpectedly up-tempo and sophisticated yet eminently accessible arrangement, becomes exhilaratingly modern. It takes a lot of courage to open a set with a ballad, but that’s just what Locke does, with an elegant, smoky version of Mancini’s and Bricusse’s classic, “Two for the Road.” It not only highlights Washington’s soulful delivery, but also the empathic relationship between the vibraphonist and pianist Geoffrey Keezer, with whom Locke goes back many years—from the recently reformed Storms/Nocturnes Trio, with...

Katie King, Harry’s Fight

To paraphrase a line from the film, “Jerry Maguire,” vocalist Katie King “had me at (her musical) ‘hello’ ” on this album. This lady is, without a doubt, the finest singer I’ve heard in years. She can handle any style, and her unique approach makes each style her own. Her voice is marvelous and her phrasing impeccable, and she hits every note dead-on. There’s no “hunting,” yet she can “bend” her voice for effect as necessary. If her singing weren’t enough, King is backed by as tasty and swinging a quartet as you’ll ever hear: Bill Anschell on piano; Jeff Johnson on Bass; Craig Flory on sax, bass clarinet and flute; and D’Vonne Lewis on...