Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Nica Carrington: Times Like These

Nica Carrington: Times Like These

By Pierre Giroux
September 25, 2022
View read count

Intrepid may be the best word to use to describe the singer

Nica Carrington

vocals

" data-original-title="" title="">Nica Carrington's self-produced debut album. Not many months before recording it, Nica, who had been taking voice lessons, came across the highly regarded Los Angeles based pianist, arranger, and jazz voice instructor

John Proulx

keyboards

" data-original-title="" title="">John Proulx, who thought that she showed such promise that he was willing to produce her first release. Wanting to do everything to provide the framework for success, Proulx brought along two esteemed and seasoned jazz musicians, bassist

Chuck Berghofer

bass, acoustic
b.1937

" data-original-title="" title="">Chuck Berghofer and drummer Joe LaBarbera, who had between them worked with such leading musicians as

Stan Getz

saxophone, tenor
1927 - 1991

" data-original-title="" title="">Stan Getz,

Shelly Manne

drums
1920 - 1984

" data-original-title="" title="">Shelly Manne,

Art Pepper

saxophone, alto
1925 - 1982

" data-original-title="" title="">Art Pepper and

Bill Evans

piano
1929 - 1980

" data-original-title="" title="">Bill Evans.

As Carrington explains in the accompanying press notes to the album, she chose the songs from the Great American Songbook because as a youngster she listened to her father's vast record collection which included jazz singers who recorded these timeless standards. The session opens with the

Hoagy Carmichael

piano
1899 - 1981

" data-original-title="" title="">Hoagy Carmichael/

Johnny Mercer

composer / conductor
1909 - 1976

" data-original-title="" title="">Johnny Mercer classic "Skylark" and from her opening phrases it is evident that Carrington has an ear catching voice. The following track is a little known and rarely heard number penned by pianist

Mal Waldron

piano
1925 - 2002

" data-original-title="" title="">Mal Waldron and singer

Billie Holiday

vocals
1915 - 1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Billie Holiday entitled "Left Alone." While it is a melancholy ballad, it has a beauty all its own which Carrington readily captures.

Nica emanates confidence and has a first-rate voice which carries a pleasantly earthy warmth.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Skylark; Left Alone; When Sunny Gets Blue; Ev��ry Time We Say Goodbye; We��ll Be Together Again; The Summer Knows; You Don��t Know What Love Is; Angel Eyes; The Shadow of Your Smile; Here��s to Life.

Personnel

Nica Carrington

vocals

John Proulx

keyboards

Chuck Berghofer

bass, acoustic

Joe La Barbera

drums

Album information

Title: Times Like These | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: Self Produced

PREVIOUS / NEXT

Louis Armstrong, Marilyn Scott & Vic...
< Previous

Take Five with Ricardo Bacelar
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.