Nicole Henry: Time To Love Again

Nicole Henry has been making a lot of noise, nicely, with her latest album. It is easy to see why.

While critics compare her to everyone from Natalie Cole to Whitney Houston, she really does sound like herself. She swings elegantly and does not oversing. Her intonation, diction and phrasing are impeccable. Henry is the epitome of good taste. She obviously has chops and range to burn, but keeps both under control. She will neither shatter your nerves nor your windows. One suspects that performance is part of her appeal: better to be in the live audience rather than listening through headphones. But, as the The Rolling Stones reminded us, you can't always get what you want.

Her taste in material is good too, ranging from jazz to rock to soul to pop. None of the tunes are original, but Henry puts a distinctive vocal and rhythmic stamp on them. And her timbre ranges from sultry to sweet, as the tune calls for. "Midnight at the Oasis" is undergoing something of a revival, but Henry's version is just different enough to keep Maria Muldaur at bay, which is not easy. Others have also done "What Time It Was," but there are no intervallic gimmicks here. James Taylor? "Your Smiling Face." Really? Yes, Somehow it works, and works well. "Overjoyed" by Stevie Wonder is another favorite, with an intimation of what energy Henry keeps under wraps.

It may be premature to compare her to Sarah Vaughan, as some of her fans are wont. Time will tell, but she is in the ballpark.