Nicole Henry at Blues Alley

Nicole Henry
Blues Alley
Washington, DC
October 3, 2024

Got a chance to see this accomplished vocalist at DC's premier jazz club, Blues Alley in Georgetown. Dressed fetchingly in crimson lace, Ms. Henry gave a master class in the kind of song interpretation that made Nancy Wilson, Carmen McRae and Sarah Vaughan jazz legends.

Celebrating twenty years in the recording biz and her sixteenth appearance at Blues Alley, Nicole got things started with a smoky cover of the Gershwins' "Summertime" from Porgy & Bess. The Nat King Cole chestnut "That's All" got a swinging arrangement; and Ms. Henry paid tribute to her mentor Nancy Wilson with the latter's "I Will Never Marry," ballad-style.

Switching to pop covers, Ms. Henry made James Taylor's "Fire and Rain" a plaintive cry of loss without altering that tune's well-known arrangement. She added a funky edition of Stevie Wonder's "Overjoyed" before returning to jazz standards, swinging an up tempo "Old Black Magic" and a touching "The Nearness of You," the Hoagy Carmichael standard, with only the piano for accompaniment.

Perhaps the most interesting performance of the evening was the group's deconstruction of the Sinatra standard "Fly Me To the Moon." Nicole's arrangement took on a disjointed contemporary jazz feel, with the bass laying down a repetitive figure and the other players—and Ms Henry—caroming on top of and alongside it. In the end, though, Nicole and company got back to swinging with the Nina Simone standard "Birds in the Sky You Know How I Feel" rounding out the fast-paced set.

Nicole's sidemen were some of the best young players around. Pianist Pete Wallace and guitarist Max Light contributed flashy solo outings. Mark Prince kept time efficiently, joined by stand up bassist Amy Shook, who contributed a throbbing bass line to the aforesaid rendition of "Fly Me..." Notables in the appreciative Blues Alley audience included Nicole's Aunt Debbie, who performed herself with pop star Patti LaBelle's ensemble.

All and all, a great set by one of the most accomplished vocalists working in jazz today.

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