Home » Jazz Articles » Take Five With... » Take Five With Nicky Schrire
Take Five With Nicky Schrire
London-born, South African-raised, New York-based vocalist/composer Nicky Schrire has been been praised for her abilit: to use her voice as "a dispensary of emotional power."? (Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz).
A graduate of the Manhattan School of Music, Schrire has performed in New York, South Africa and London. Her debut album, Freedom Flight, has been hailed by critics as "an exceptional debut" (Steven Lewis, Hard bop Jazz Journal) and "a thrilling maiden voyage" (Andrea Canter, Jazz Police).
Instrument(s):
Voice.
Teachers and/or influences?
Teachers/mentors:
Peter Eldridge
vocals
Kate McGarry
vocals
Theo Bleckmann
vocals
Dominique Eade
vocalsb.1958
Norma Winstone
vocalsb.1941
Amy Cervini
vocalsb.1977
Influences:
Maria Pia De Vito
vocalsb.1960
Youn Sun Nah
vocals
Luciana Souza
vocals
Becca Stevens
vocals
Gretchen Parlato
vocals
Jo Lawry
vocals
Blossom Dearie
piano and vocals1926 - 2009
Your sound and approach to music:
My sound is constantly changing as I learn more about what I like and what I don't like. As I discover new music I'm able to broaden my capacity to hear new sounds and that allows me to grow and progress as a musician (and a person). At the moment, I'd describe my sound as a mishmash of jazz, pop and folk influences.
I think, more than anything, that music is supposed to make people feel something, anything (Preferably not aversion!). That's the best way to measure whether the music in question is "good." Does it make the audience and the musicians who are playing it feel something? We tend to get too caught up in labels and genre-specific requirements, and we forget that music is supposed to be fun, and elicit joy from listeners. It doesn't matter whether it's jazz, pop, folk, R&B or a film score. Does it affect you when you hear the music in question?
Your dream band:
Jim Black
drumsThere are millions of amazing musicians in the industry, but that doesn't mean there are millions of musicians I'd like to play with. It's so important to choose musicians that you get along with, socially, and who also share your musical aesthetic. That said, my ear gravitates towards pianists and I'd love to work with
Fred Hersch
pianob.1955
Brad Mehldau
pianob.1970
Neil Cowley
pianob.1972
The first Jazz album I bought was:
Verve's The Complete Ella Fitzgerald Songbooks box set. It was actually a gift from my mum but it introduced me to Ella, vocal jazz and had a huge influence on my interest in jazz. I can still sing along to the instrumental interludes, introductions and fills.
What do you think is the most important thing you are contributing musically?
I hope that I'm contributing something (maybe a knack for talking too much?) to the already remarkable pool of vocalists in New York City. And I like to think that my quest to be a musician as well as a singer (the two are not always one and the same, although they should be) will encourage other young singers to strive for the same ideal.
Did you know...
I was a saxophonist before I was a singer. The tenor saxophone introduced me to the world of jazz and allowed me to experience playing in big bands both in school and college (I was a double major—saxophone and classical piano—in my first year at college). I played the tenor, baritone and soprano saxophones and doubled on clarinet and bass clarinet.
CDs you are listening to now:
Romain Collin
pianob.1979
Shawn Colvin
guitar and vocalsHow would you describe the state of jazz today?
Ever-changing. Challenging. Exciting.
What is in the near future?
I'm preparing for my debut gig in London (October 5, 2012 at "The Forge," with
Nikki Iles
piano- 2012
Dave Hamblett
drums
"
data-original-title="" title="">Ryan Trebilcock). I'm excited to get to perform for friends and family who haven't gotten to hear me live as of yet. I'm also preparing music for my sophomore album recording—it's a completely different kettle of fish to my debut album, so it promises to be yet another interesting adventure!Photo Credit
Courtesy of
Nicky Schrire
vocalsTags
Nicky Schrire
Take Five With...
United States
Dan Bilawsky
Peter Eldridge
Kate McGarry
Theo Bleckmann
Dominique Eade
norma winstone
Amy Cervini
Maria Pia de Vito
Youn Sun Nah
Luciana Souza
Becca Stevens
Gretchen Parlato
Jo Lawry
Blossom Dearie
Jim Black
Fred Hersch
brad mehldau
Neil Cowley
Romain Collin
Shawn Colvin
Nikki Iles
Dave Hamblett
Ryan Trebilcock
Comments
PREVIOUS / NEXT
Support All About Jazz
All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.
Go Ad Free!
To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.Showcase
Buy Now
Featured
Carnaval - The Songs Were So Beautiful
By Antonio Adolfo buy
Darwin AI: Surivior Choice
By Alex Otey buyGiveaway
