The TD Canada Trust Jazz Festival was full of highlights worth mentioning … here are just a few.
Blaring buzz about the little girl who "channels Ella and Aretha" resulted in full houses for Montréal's Nikki Yanofsky, who played two shows at this year's fest. Merely thirteen years of age, the phenomenal Nikki is astonishingly talented and undeniably adorable. She girlishly beamed her way through selections such as "A-Tisket, A-Tasket", "Betcha Nickel" and "Lullaby of Birdland", and also wailed "At Last" to the audience's extreme satisfaction. Most impressive was Nikki's scat rendition of "Air Mail Special", an exact replica of an Ella Fitzgerald performance recorded at the 1957 Newport Jazz Festival. A standing ovation prompted the encore "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", which Nikki dedicated to her late grandmother. Whereas the special effects scat stuff was copied and pasted, the encore was genuinely full of Nikki's own heart and soul. Look out world, this little girl is bound for big things. You can find her online at www.nikkionline.ca.
The Savoy on Victoria Street housed the highly anticipated return of the Cabaret Series. The opening night's Carmen Unzipped, a collaborative effort between famed Canadian mezzo-soprano Jean Stilwell and writer/pianist Patti Loach, was pitch perfect. Written by Loach and based on Stilwell's life, Carmen Unzipped reveals the inner voice of an opera diva extraordinaire. Songs included the well-known "La Vie en Rose" and "Falling in Love Again" plus new material such as "Taylor the Latte Boy", featuring a hilarious cameo appearance by the dashing Rex Harrington. Generating genuine laughter and tears, Stilwell was spectacular and Loach ever-so-sensitive. Carmen Unzipped is an unforgettable cabaret show which is also available on CD. To find out more, visit www.carmenunzipped.com.
A unique voice on the Canadian scene, is the very stylish and original song stylist, Rita di Ghent. Her subtle style exudes great substance and utter spontaneity. Accompanying di Ghent on this particular evening were some of this city's very best: Bernie Senensky on piano, Ross MacIntyre on bass and Richard Brisco on drums Rita swung her way through standard jazz repertoire, including memorable renditions of "Stars Fell on Alabama", "Travelin' Light" and a saucy "Mean and Evil Blues". The contagiously positive "Peace Conspiracy" got the audience to their feet, not just rising but dancing to the groove. For further information about this artist, visit www.ritadighent.com.
Nowadays pretty girls with pretty voices seem to be a dime a dozen, but Sophia Perlman's husky alto is matched by some serious jazz chops, not to mention versatility. Whether she's softly crooning a ballad, scat-singing her little behind off or ripping through a dirty blues with her band The Vipers, this 22-year-old wins fans every week. The Vipers are one of the most exciting bands to emerge in a long time. ( www.myspace.com/vipersjazz.
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