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Post by stevemacdonald on Feb 7, 2008 7:20:16 GMT
Anyone wanting to hear an amazing 13-year-old jazz vocal prodigy from Canada should check out the incredible Nikki Yanofsky. .... www.nikkionline.caI was never into jazz until Renee Olstead came along a few years ago and now she has serious competition in Nikki. I added Nikki's name to the title of this thread.
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Post by chantelle on Feb 7, 2008 14:40:35 GMT
Okay, I'm deathly curious... how did you discover Nikki? Since I perform jazz myself, I'm very diligent about searching for other teeange jazz performers... I've found Susan May, and Sophie Berkal-Sarbit, (not to mention Daisy Chute, who I was a fan of before AA) but Nikki seems to have completely slipped under my radar! But not for long-- I'm downloading some of her free music now.  |
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Post by stevemacdonald on Feb 7, 2008 15:03:58 GMT
... But not for long-- I'm downloading some of her free music now. For a real treat, Chantelle, go to Nikki Yanofsky's MySpace page and listen to her soulful rendition of "Over the Rainbow". Both Hayley's and Aselin Debison's versions sound downright expressionless by comparison. This is a useful comparison to make because they were all around the same age (12 - 13) at the time of their respective recordings. |
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Post by postscript on Feb 7, 2008 16:29:30 GMT
... But not for long-- I'm downloading some of her free music now. For a real treat, Chantelle, go to Nikki Yanofsky's MySpace page and listen to her soulful rendition of "Over the Rainbow". Both Hayley's and Aselin Debison's versions sound downright expressionless by comparison. This is a useful comparison to make because they were all around the same age (12 - 13) at the time of their respective recordings. Hi Steve, Personally I think we are moving into areas of pure subjectivity. However your recommendation is worth the listening. I have it playing (again) as I type and I will try and make objective opinions. - It is a long time since I have seen the film but I still have 13-year-old Judy Garland in my head.
- I think Hayley deliberately tried NOT to ape Garland, especially as at that time her voice wasn't deep enough.
- Nikki has that extra depth but what she brings out is not the film characteristic but the characteristic of the later Judy when singing in bars with the slightly jazzy inflection she often added at that later age. In that Nikki is intriguing in being so young and interpreting the mature Garland.
- Garland is a difficult artist for me to run with me. My childhood first acquaintance had me fall in love with the 13-year-old girl unaware she was by that time in her thirties--I was probably around the same age (13) when I first saw it.
- I have to confess as I listen further to her she does arouse interest. I think it is partly that I am not a jazz aficionado (the negative aspect) and the contradiction of a maturity of interpretation quite beyond her physical years.
- Having heard more of her other songs, I am intrigued and would like to see a video of her. For 'Over the Rainbow' I think it is too near to Garland for me to appreciate her. I prefer the original Garland at which ever age which brings me back to my opening, it could be that Hayley deliberately avoided being Garland-like. In her version she is Hayley and I can accept her version.
However, I think Steve, you have got me interested! Peter S. |
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Post by chantelle on Feb 7, 2008 16:57:00 GMT
On one hand, I agree that no one can top Judy Garland (old or young!), which is one reason why I have personally decided to never record Over the Rainbow, and I will always prefer Judy's version to anyone else's. I haven't heard Hayley's rendition... but Nikki's version reminds me more of Joss Stone than anyone else, which isn't surprising, because Joss is one of Nikki's singing idols... In regards to Nikki's other songs (I've only had time to listen to a few) her talent really is quite surprising for her age (and her diction / vowel shapes surprisingly like Ella's!), but I hear a slight lack of control (the beginning of Mr. Paganini, for example) that would be tremendously improved with lessons, which Nikki has avowed to "make it" without. So I guess we'll just have to wait and see! There are several videos of Nikki on YouTube. |
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Post by postscript on Feb 7, 2008 17:53:33 GMT
Thank you Chantelle for your no. 4 post. Those videos provide quite an insight.
Because my own family has direct connections with superb jazz-playing ability I can listen to jazz from them in the same way I can listen to Hayley singing anything. However, I am now moved to the view that perhaps I don't want the lady to 'sing the blues' after all but then we are perhaps entering the arena of semantics and definitions! I quit!
Peter S.
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Post by stevemacdonald on Jan 6, 2011 20:32:19 GMT
Here's an interesting update on this singer I first spotted three years ago: Nikki Yanofsky has since hit the big time -- she was signed by Decca, has released a top-selling album and is now a household name in Canada. Not saying I had anything to do with it, but....Decca people read things on Hayley's forum. Ya never know. Let's hope our new interest in another worthy artist leads to great things as well! |
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Post by mihizawi on Jan 6, 2011 21:14:59 GMT
Nice! If you liked her, you may also like Andrea Motis, of who I started a thread few weeks ago. She is 15 now, and at a young age she's got a very jazzy voice too.
Michal
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Post by anshita on Jan 7, 2011 8:53:56 GMT
Aah, I know her... I've seen her DVD of live in Montreal and I have her song 'I believe'. It's fantastic!
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