Natalie Cole, Whitney Houston now Nicole Henry

Nicole Henry at Dizzy's Coca-Cola Club

I have a friend named Flo who has been raving about this jazz/R&B singer named Nicole Henry for the last few years. You know, you hear people talk about someone and you think to yourself, "yeah, yeah I'm sure she's good, but.." Finally I got the opportunity to hear for myself when Nicole played Dizzy's Coca-Cola Club at Jazz at Lincoln Center last night.

The venue was sold out, but Flo managed to finagle our way from the back sets to a table, which we shared with two very nice gentlemen, Fred, who has seen Nicole several times in New York and Miami, and his friend Chris, who has heard Nicole's CD but not seen her live yet.

Nicole took the stage and started singing and she has such a stage presence, along with the voice to match. She is a combination of Natalie Cole, Whitney Houston and a little Aretha Franklin. I was blown away by her, and a little shocked that she is not better known. I'm afraid that in this age of American Idol, good old fashioned singers like her get lost, and what a shame that is.

She and one of my all-time favorite songs, Since I Fell For You from her CD Embraceable, and I loved the arrangement. Her next CD, out in October, features songs from her show at the Metropolitan Club, where she performed '70s songs. How I wished I had seen that one, because her best song of the night was from that show, a Bill Withers tune Use Me that had everyone mesmerized.

After last night's performance I am officially in the Nicole Henry fan club, along with everyone else who was there last night. If anyone ever asks you to go see Nicole Henry, don't hesitate to enthusiastically say "yes!"

Nicole Henry's website is here.
She is also on Facebook here. 

NY Moments gave me goosebumps

Last night we attended a fundraiser for the New York Philharmonic at Avery Fisher Music Hall in Lincoln Center. Marvin Hamlisch conducted and it was so thrilling.

Joel Gray opened the show with "Wilkommen" from Cabaret, and what a way to start the show. He was delightful. Keep an eye out for fifteen year-old Canadian sensation Nikki Yanofsky, who sang two iconic Ella Fitzgerald songs. She has such poise, and what a voice. Forget "American Idol", this girl blows them away.

Audience favorite Paulo Szot got a standing ovation for his rendition of "This Nearly Was Mine", his signature song from "South Pacific". (photo above) He owns that song now, and he was perfection. His co-star, Kelli O'Hara, who makes pregnancy look so beautiful, sang two songs and then joined Paulo for a duet of Rogers and Hammerstein's "If I Loved You" from "Carousel". They are so wonderful together.

Jennifer Holliday rocked the house with her "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" from "Dreamgirls". Twenty-eight years later, she still has the audience in her thrall. Amazing!

London stage sensation Maria Friedman was up next, and then Mary Poppins herself, Ashley Brown blew the roof off with her rousing rendition of "I Happen to Like New York"; I think that was my favorite performance of the evening.

And no New York Moments performance would be complete without Liza Minnelli singing "New York, New York". She never disappoints. I met her at CD signing a few months ago, and she looks and sounds better than she has in years.

The Philharmonic played a Jerome Kern medley and Hamlisch finished with "The Way We Were". It was a phenomenal night of music and I got goosebumps several times listening to these gorgeous voices.