Nica Carrington: Times Like These

Intrepid may be the best word to use to describe the singer Nica Carrington's self-produced debut album. Not many months before recording it, Nica, who had been taking voice lessons, came across the highly regarded Los Angeles based pianist, arranger, and jazz voice instructor John Proulx, who thought that she showed such promise that he was willing to produce her first release. Wanting to do everything to provide the framework for success, Proulx brought along two esteemed and seasoned jazz musicians, bassist Chuck Berghofer and drummer Joe LaBarbera, who had between them worked with such leading musicians as Stan Getz, Shelly Manne, Art Pepper and Bill Evans.

As Carrington explains in the accompanying press notes to the album, she chose the songs from the Great American Songbook because as a youngster she listened to her father's vast record collection which included jazz singers who recorded these timeless standards. The session opens with the Hoagy Carmichael/Johnny Mercer classic "Skylark" and from her opening phrases it is evident that Carrington has an ear catching voice. The following track is a little known and rarely heard number penned by pianist Mal Waldron and singer Billie Holiday entitled "Left Alone." While it is a melancholy ballad, it has a beauty all its own which Carrington readily captures.

Nica emanates confidence and has a first-rate voice which carries a pleasantly earthy warmth.