Sensuous, sleek and gorgeous, Nicole Henry commands the stage with her physical presence. Then she starts to sing and the package is complete. Blessed with a wonderful instrument, Henry can shift easily from pop to soul to swing, backed by some marvelous jazz arrangements that support her new hybrid sound. Opening with the Ellington/George/Hodges/James swing “I’m Beginning to See the Light,” Henry then switched to a strong soul-influenced showstopper on a slowed down rendition of Buddy Johnson’s “Since I Fell for You.” A cha cha on the Dinah Washington hit “Relax Max” and a sensational version of the Sarah Vaughan recorded “That’s All,” illustrate the new multi-influence jazz sound Henry and other young artists are developing. It very evident with her take on Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil’s “Just a Little Lovin.” Henry adds a lot of soul to the hit, falling somewhere between the notable versions by jazz great Carmen McCrae and blue-eyed soul/pop sister Dusty Springfield. Henry is navigating new territory with her style and with her incredible voice and intelligence. The sky’s the limit!

Steve Murray
Cabaret Scenes
August 29, 2012
www.cabaretscenes.org