The Secret’s Out: Nikki Yanofsky Proves She’s Ready To Break Out On Her Latest LP

Courtesy: Caroline Records

At only 19 years old, Canadian-born singer Nikki Yanofsky has already recorded and released three full length albums and gained a fan base from around the world.  So it goes without saying that by and large Yanofsky, who has worked with big names including: will.i.am, Herbie Hancock, Phil Ramone, and Elton John just to name a few, is anything but a secret to audiences.   This summer, Yanofsky released her aptly titled fourth full-length studio effort Little Secret.  The little secret revealed in this record is that Yanofsky isn’t just a jazz singer.  Just as Norah Jones eventually branched out, so has Yanofsky.  And just as Jones’ fans became divided when she started branching out, so have Yanofsky’s, too.  Fans have either gotten totally on board with this record or they have completely disavowed it.  Those fans that disavowed Little Secret have obviously failed to see…er…hear that she has not abandoned her jazz roots on this record.  Rather, she has taken those roots and shown her ability to grow as an artist while maintaining them.  That is evident more than once throughout the course of this album’s dozen tracks.  One of the songs that proves this is her take on David Houston’s 1967 hit single ‘You Mean The World To Me.’   There is also a retooled version of the jazz standard ‘Jeepers Creepers’ simply titled ‘Jeepers Creepers 2.0’ that audiences should take into account.  Whether for the re-tooled take on ‘Jeepers Creepers’ or her take of ‘You Mean The World To Me,’ audiences that give this record a chance will hear and agree that Yanofsky hasn’t lost her jazz roots.  At the same time, they will also agree that she has grown and branched out.  That is evidenced both in the album’s fittingly titled opener ‘Something New’ and its closer ‘Kaboom Pow.’  These songs by themselves prove that Yanofsky has not forgotten her roots but rather taken them and grown with them.  And together with the album’s remaining songs not noted here, audiences new and old alike will agree that Little Secret is deserving of far more credit than some have given it.

Little Secret has proven to be quite the divisive record among Nikki Yanofsky’s fan base.  There has been no gray area with this record.  Audiences have either hated it, claiming that Yanofsky has essentially sold out and forgotten her jazz roots or they have loved it noting her growth.  This critic chooses to take the side of those noting her positive growth.  Yanofsky shows on this record that she hasn’t forgotten her jazz roots.  She has merely taken them and grown with them.  One example of that display comes in her rendition of the jazz classic ‘You Mean The World To Me.’  This song is a  wonderful and beautiful break from the album’s more pop-centered songs.  It is a slow, gentle song perfect for a romantic moment with yanofsky singing, “I think about you all the time/I think about how you’re all mine/How only I can hold your hand/And you’re the one I call my man/And you mean the world to me/Everytime I feel your touch/Boy it gives me such a rush/And every time you stroke my hair/It sends shivers everywhere/I think about you and your smile/I think about the longest smile/Then I would run to get to you/I know that you would do that, too/Cause you mean the world to me.”  The gentle strains of the piano and laid back beats make the song even more enjoyable.  Regardless of the occasion, this is a great song for that special, romantic moment.  And it is one piece of evidence in the argument that Yanofsky hasn’t lost her jazz roots on this album.

Yanofsky’s take one ‘You Mean The World To Me’ is solid evidence that she has not lost her jazz roots on this, her latest full-length studio effort.  Those perhaps not yet convinced need look no farther than her updated take on the jazz standard ‘Jeepers Creepers’ for even more proof that she has not lost her roots, but used them to grow as a performer.  ‘Jeepers Creepers 2.0’ takes the jazz standard and brings it into the 21st century with her take of the song here.  She sings alongside jazz legend Louis Armstrong who popularized the original Harry Warren/Johnny Mercer tune in this rendition.  The pairing of the old and new is enhanced even more with the placement of some decidedly poppy beats over the whole thing.  The end result is one more song proving how much Nikki Yanofsky has grown on this record.  It’s also one more of the album’s songs that proves why Little Secret is a great candidate for a spot on any critic’s list of the year’s best new pop albums.

Despite what so many would like to believe, Nikki Yanofsky proves more than once on her latest full-length studio release that she has not lost her jazz roots. Rather she has shown how much she has grown on this album.  That is evident in both of the already noted songs.  While she proves that she has not forgotten her jazz roots, she also proves just how much she has grown as an artist and branched out as she has gotten older and more experienced with her craft.  She proves this just as much as she proves her continued connection to her jazz roots.  One of the best examples of that growth comes in the form of the album’s aptly titled opener ‘Something New.’  This song is right up there with songs from so many of Yanofsky’s bigger name counterparts that currently run on the nation’s biggest radio stations.  Audiences that give this song a chance will recognize a very familiar sample used as the song’s backbone.  It is the same sample used as a music bed in actor Mike Meyers’ hit Austin Powers movies.  The album’s closer ‘Kaboom Pow’ is just as aptly titled.  That’s because it closes out this surprisingly impressive album with a bang.  As with the album’s opener, it is catchy enough that it could easily hold its own against any major song playing across America’s major Top 40 station’s today.  Yanofsky’s vocal abilities are incredible to say the least, especially when she hits the high notes in this song.  It is truly something that must be heard to be fully appreciated.  Those talents, the talent exhibited in the album’s opener, and that of her jazz renditions show collectively a solid balance of Yanofsky’s past, present and future.  They prove together that she has not lost her roots nor has she forgotten them.  She has simply taken those roots and grown with them and released an album that is far more worthy of praise than some would seem to believe.

Nikki Yanofsky proves with Little Secret that she is more than just a jazz singer.  She is a multi-talented vocalist that could go any direction that she wants in her future releases. Regardless of the direction that she chooses or the support (or lack thereof) that she gets from America’s Top 40 stations, this record has proven that the secret is out.  Nikki Yanofsky is one of the best young vocalists in American music today.  Audiences that give Little Secret a chance will agree with that sentiment, too.  Yanofsky is currently touring in support of Little Secret.  Audiences can check out her latest tour schedule online now and keep up with her latest news updates online at:

Website: http://www.NikkiYanofsky.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nikkiyanofsky

Twitter: http://twitter.com/NikkiYanofsky

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Caro Emerald In Concert Could Break Singer Out In America

Courtesy: Eagle Rock Entertainment/Eagle Vision/BBC/Grand mono

The name Caro Emerald is one that is not largely familiar in the mainstream music world right now.  This is the case despite the Dutch singer having already released two full length studio albums since 2010.  But with the release of her new live DVD and Blu-ray, Caro Emerald in Concert, the young singer’s name may start to spread like wildfire.  That’s because the new live release from Eagle Rock Entertainment presents the best of those two albums in one complete concert.  It’s an excellent introduction to the talents of the young artist and her band mates.  The very first thing that audiences will notice in listening to the band music crafted by Emerald and her band mates is the band’s “jazz-hop” style.  For those that might be scratching their heads, it’s a mix of old school swing jazz mixed with the occasional modern hip-hop vibe.  Still confused?  Imagine mixing Adele, Amy Winehouse, Nelly Furtado, and the Squirrel Nut Zippers.  That is the interesting hybrid sound crafted by Emerald and her band mates.   Ironically enough, Emerald notes in the concert’s bonus interview that Amy Winehouse was indeed one of her influences.  That is something that will be discussed later.  Getting back to the music in this concert,  there is not one bad moment in the entire performance.  Every song in this concert has its own flare that is sure to have anyone dancing along in their own living rooms and bedrooms.  From the up-tempo opener, ‘Just One Dance’ to ‘Paris’ to the show’s closer, ‘Stuck’, Ms. Emerald and company prove over and over again why it won’t be long before they break out in the United States.

The songs included in the band’s new live recording show just why American audiences should expect to hear more from the unit provided program directors give the band the support that it deserves.  On a deeper level, the songs become even more interesting after listening to Caro discuss her musical upbringing in the recording’s bonus interview.  She explains in the interview that it was classical music, not pop music, on which she was raised as a child.  She laughs as she admits that she was hardly a fan of classical music.  This is interesting to note because of her vocal range.  She has such control over her voice from one song to another.  Whether in the performance’s softer moments or those that are more upbeat, she does such a wonderful job accenting the song’s energy level with her vocal control.  And as noted already, she adds during her interview that the late Amy Winehouse was one of her influences.  That is also evident in her singing.  There is a certain almost cabaret style vibe about some of her songs.  While not as gritty as Winehouse’s vocals, she still has such power in said songs.  It’s something that audiences can only appreciate when they check out this recording for themselves.

The set list and the performance presented in Caro Emerald in Concert both play important roles in the enjoyment of this recording’s overall presentation.  No examination of a live concert would be complete though, without an examination of the recording’s audio and video.  And this critic is pleased to say that those charged with managing the show’s audio and video mix did an excellent job.  Director Helen Scott got the best out of her camera crew, catching some amazing shots.  Those with HDTVs will love the wide shots of the BBC Radio Theatre.  They show just how “intimate” the setting was for the recording as was noted on the back of the disc’s case.  Just as interesting were the close-up shots captured by the videographer manning the stage.  Emerald comes right up to him more than once and looks right into the camera as she sings.  Again, having an HDTV, the quality of the footage is crystal clear.  Viewers can see every single detail of her face as she sings into the camera.  The audio mix is just as impressive.  Every part of the recording is balanced all the way down.  None of the performers overpower the other at any one point throughout the show.  Together with the expertly shot and edited video, the performance of the band and the show’s set list, it all combines to make Caro Emerald in Concert one more reason that Eagle Rock Entertainment continues to be a leader if not the leader in live recordings.  It is available now in stores and online.  More information on this and other live releases from Eagle Rock Entertainment is available online at http://www.facebook.com/EagleRockEnt and http://www.eaglerockent.com.  To keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it.  Fans can always keep up with the latest sports and entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at https://philspicks.wordpress.com.