On her sixth album So Good, So Right: Nicole Henry Live, Henry demonstrates her gift for sublime interpretation as well as her love for the emotionally tinged soul, pop and rock songs that were staples of the 1970’s. The 13-track live album, which was recorded at Henry’s sold-out performances at Feinstein’s in NYC in May 2012, showcases her soulful, inspired interpretations of some of her favorite classic hits of the decade from iconic artists including Bill Withers, Aretha Franklin, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, The Commodores and Gladys Knight.
“I really connected with the music of the 70’s-all those incredible grooves and great lyrics that conveyed hope and love and being free,” comments Henry. “Growing up I can remember my parents listening to lots of soul and pop music, and so many of those songs just gave me a great feeling of happiness. The artists of that time were true craftsmen and their music had such a broad sound, accessible by people of all races- that’s the kind of music I loved-no definitions! I wanted to revisit that time and those emotions and share them with my fans.”
Featured tracks on the album include the title track, Brenda Russell’s ‘So Good, So Right,’ which Henry loves for the “simplicity of the adjectives Good and Right and how, in this song, "SO" completely explains that feeling of inexplicable perfection of that moment. It just IS.” Henry grew up on Aretha Franklin’s music so when album producer Matt Pierson recommended to her the song ‘Spirit in the Dark,’ from Franklin’s 1970 album, she knew she had to cover it. “I grew up listening to Aretha's 1972 live gospel album Amazing Grace- as far as I'm concerned, everything Aretha sings is gospel,” says Henry. “This song reminds people to be free, look within themselves, and lose control when you need to – a revival of spirit.” Other tracks include the great Bill Withers 1972 classic ‘Use Me,’ which Henry says “shows just how funky he was, and the lyrics show how direct his writing could be. The song’s meaning is obvious…GOOD LOVING goes a long way!”
Henry also shines on tracks such as Joni Mitchell’s ‘Big Yellow Taxi,’ where, as Henry explains, “Joni Mitchell's whimsical melody, combined with her sad lyrics, always throws me for a curve on the last verse,” and Stealers Wheel’s raucous ‘Stuck in the Middle,’ where Henry showcases her signature attitude. So Good, So Right: Nicole Henry Live closes with Fleetwood Mac’s iconic ‘Landslide,’ a beautiful song Henry interprets to be about “learning to love, growing up, accepting one's past sacrifices, and making decisions about where you’re going.”
Growing up in a musical family in Bucks County, PA, Henry immersed herself in the arts early on, singing in school and churh, and studying cello and ballet. After graduating from the University of Miami with a degree in Communications and Theatre, Henry launched a successful acting career, appearing in commercial roles as well as a series of voiceover assignments. But she directed her strongest passion toward the development of her full-time singing career which was quickly rewarded in her present hometown, when the Miami New Times named Henry “Best Solo Musician 2002.”
Henry’s 2004 debut CD release, The Nearness of You, won considerable attention from audiences and critics in the U.S. and in Japan, where they named Henry Best New Jazz Artist of 2004. The following year, Henry’s Teach Me Tonight reached #1 in Japan and was named HMV Japan's Best Vocal Jazz Album of 2005. 2008's The Very Thought of You substantially expanded her American audience, reaching #7 on Billboard's jazz chart. 2011’s Embraceable, a slight departure from her prior recording, reached the top 20 on jazz and smooth jazz radio charts and was a creative triumph for Henry, increasing her repertoire of originals, and further established her as a peerless interpreter of jazz, and pop standards, transcending genre boundaries.
www.nicolehenry.com
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