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Join us for an evening of elegance on July 11^th, at 6 PM as dynamic vocalist Nicole Henry leads the original “Great Ladies of Song” benefit concert with returning Vail Jazz Alumni. The elegant evening will pay tribute to legendary jazz greats including Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Aretha Franklin, Nancy Wilson, Nina Simone, Dinah Washington, and Whitney Houston.

Nicole is no stranger to the jazz world, with international performances in over 15 countries, and seven vocal jazz albums ranging from unique renditions of the Great American Songbook, to soulful hits of the 60s. Shortly after her debut in 2004, and she was awarded “Best New Jazz Artist”. More recently, Nicole was awarded by the Soul Train Awards for “Best Traditional Jazz Performance” in 2013. Vail Jazz is thrilled to welcome such a diverse, and humble artist to the stage.

Sharing her spirit while entertaining the audience, Nicole Henry is not afraid to tackle even the most well-known Jazz standards and popular songs. While many artists today can be hesitant to take on familiar songs by highly acclaimed artists, Nicole dives into the challenge and creates a brand new experience for the listener, which is not easy to do. Billboard Magazine has called her, “An artist who knows how to make a song her own.” (and it clearly shows)

Creating a brand new musical experience that is unique and engaging is not something that every artist in the industry can do today. Nicole seems to effortlessly establish an atmosphere that captures an original sound and mood at each performance. Nicole highly excels at this – whether performing a Cole Porter tune or a James Taylor cover, she is able to captivate an audience’s attention with her charming storytelling, and is able to convey powerful emotions through her vocals. Every song she sings is truly with her own interpretation and cannot be compared to others.

Taking these classic songs, and exploring new colors, rhythms, harmonies and instrumentation, She brings old jazz standards to life such as “At Last” and “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” and pop songs such as “Landslide” and “Big Yellow Taxi” in renditions that are new and pleasing to the ear. Her warm voice makes you tune in to her performance instantly, and yearn for more after the performance has finished.

Not only does Nicole creatively experiment with covers, but with her own songwriting as well! On her most recent Summer Sessions EP released in 2015, Nicole collaborates with guitarist James Bryan, and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Glen Scott on new material together. The three compliment each other very well. Check out this video of their easy listening song “Joy” https://youtu.be/4yrHYknC4zc

With intriguing musical arrangements, joining on stage at this special event will be Nicole’s trio, Peter Wallace on piano, Eric England on bass, and David Chiverton on drums. Vail Jazz is excited to bring back alumni of the Vail Jazz Workshop, Jumaane Smith (’98 trumpet), Hailey Niswanger (’07 alto sax) and Kyle Tilstra (’13 trombone) to join in for this special performance.

The evening will take place in the beautiful International Ballroom at the Lodge of Vail, and will also include an exclusive high-end auction, spectacular three course meal dinner all while you witness this incredible performance! Funds raised at the event will go toward Vail Jazz education programs, which touch the lives of over 1,400 children each year. Individual tickets start at $250, and tables are available starting at $3000. For more details and to purchase tickets, please visit https://vailjazz.org/performances/benefit-dinner/. It’s important to pay tribute to great artists, to not copy one another in the industry, but lead from inspiration, and that’s exactly what Nicole Henry does. To hear more inspiring recent music releases and video performances of Nicole Henry, be sure to visit http://www.nicolehenry.com