Showing @ Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, Tue 26 July @ 20:00 & Lemon Tree, Aberdeen, Sat 13 Aug @ 19:30
Songstress Niki King’s music was once described as ‘eclectic soul’ and it’s a phrase that’s more than fitting for the powerful, rich sublime musical stew that makes up her new self-penned album It’s All Good, which is making its live début at the Queen’s Hall as part of the Edinburgh International Jazz and Blues Festival.
With a father who’s an Edinburgh jazz legend it’s no surprise that she sites greats such as Ella Fitzgerald, Carmen McCrae, Nancy Wilson and Billie Holiday (a tribute show to whom by King was a huge hit at last year’s Festival) as inspirations. But King also grew up listening to classic and modern soul, and soul/jazz pioneers so a trip around her record collection would find Gil Scott Heron, Al Green – who King has had the pleasure of supporting twice – Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack whose First Take album had a huge effect on the young King. Add to the list Tom Waits, Bob Marley, Janis Joplin and a host of other names and you understand why when Niki King tells you she likes soul music she means music with soul rather than any narrow record shop definition.
Now based primarily in New York, King’s taken advantage of the creative melting pot the Big Apple has to offer and it was in one of NYC’s most famous hotspots – Harlem’s Lenox Lounge – that she met the producer of her new album Jerome Jennings: a man with a great reputation as drummer, arranger, producer and most importantly a man very much on the same musical page as King herself.
As someone who loves the inspiration that comes with the collaborative process, King has performed in duos, with small groups and with a seven piece band, but for It’s All Good she’s taken things to a new level with the intense groove and slick soulful sound produced by a ten piece ensemble – The Elements, a group of musicians with the best of pedigrees whose members have backed Prince, Sonny Rollins, Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles.
The combination of The Elements’ powerful sound will be even more powerful at the Queen’s Hall as they literally take it up to eleven by adding an extra member. And King’s vocals which can encapsulate everything from raw emotion and heartbreak to a sweet tender soul caresses make this a night to look forward to.
King is happy to tell anyone who’ll listen that this album is her proudest achievement to date and for an artist already with an impressive back catalogue that’s saying something. Not only does each track have standalone quality but thanks to the work put in by King, Jennings and The Elements it has a real cohesion and balance that allows tracks as different as the reggae tinged Little Girl Blue and the smooth as silk Don’t Lose Your Soul to work in perfect harmony.
Obviously created and recorded in New York, King could easily have found one of the city’s many great jazz venues to première the album in, but thank goodness for us she didn’t. Instead she’s chosen to give the album its live début in front of her home town audience at the Queen’s Hall.
Niki King’s nervous about performing the music live for the first time, but she’s also excited by the chance to let an audience hear something she’s worked so hard on and feels so passionate about. The ten piece band who recorded the album have been unable to get across the pond for the launch show or the gig at Aberdeen’s Lemon Tree in August so King’s recruited some of the best musicians and backing singers in this country. Add producer Jerome Jennings on drums and she’s confident that it will be a fantastic live event.
Hearing King’s music you can tell this is someone in love with what they do and that passion comes across on this record, but there’s nothing like the live experience so if you love soul, if you love jazz, if you just love music played with heart then this show is one not to be missed and hey, how often do you get the chance to say you were there when something special was born?