in october of 2000, chanteuse Nicole Martel performed
at the Paris hotel; the newest neon luxury resort on the Las Vegas strip. She performs evry Thursday at la Brasserie des Artistes at 8300 Wilshire Blvd, in Beverly Hills, 323-655-6196.. YOu will have a memorable evening if you decide to catch her act, this is where she develops her material for Las Vegas and all the big events that her band
"Nicole's Tres Jazz" is famous for.
c'est si bon, indeed! "c'est si bon" also happens to be the title of her new cd, produced by Billy Mitchell (piano) with leeroy Ball on electric bass, Quintin Dennard on drums, Werner Schuchner on guitar Herman Riley on sax.
"jazz at it's finest with a french touch!", is how Ilene proctor describes "nicole's sensuous smoky alto".
where there's smoke, there's fire.
to explain her allure, critics repeatedly return to specific words in their glowing reviews: sexy, sultry, hot.
the brown-eyed blonde, with the svelte figure for stunning gowns, is that and more.
Bob Agnew writes in la jazz scene that Nicole is "at times reminiscent of the sound of Marlene Dietrich, but unlike Dietrich, she is animated." witty, with a perfect comedic timing.
her exuberance is infectious.
besides enjoying her sexy voice, audiences and back-up musicians at her shows have fun.
she started out as a dancer. nicole became a ballerina at five and won scholarships throughout her teens. it was when she was performing for a crowd of a thousand as a little girl, that she discovered she felt most at home on the stage.
she was nearly expelled from catholic school, when a newspaper photo revealed that fourteen year old nicole was a can-can girl.
she had lied about her age to join a dance troupe.
at seventeen, she broadened her career and headed for hollywood. nicole did print modeling.
producers and hosts of well known tv shows, as well as movie directors discovered that nicole could act.
everything changed when, for the first time in front of an audience, she sang. the song was "is that all there is?" and that was the end of the dancer. nicole recalls: "i had them crying. i had me crying. and i thought, oh my god, singing is for me!"nicole's stage presence creates an intimate rapport with each individual in the room.
"i'm a story teller. there is a spiritual process that only happens in front of an audience. it brings out such emotions. i love to make people laugh. i love to make them cry and they love to be torn apart! i love making people dream." only life experience can move the listener to these emotions.
nicole has had her share of life experience.her life could easily have turned and gone in many different directions.
talent, beauty and charismatic energy are always recognized, although these qualities mean different things to different groups.
the royal canadian ballet wanted nicole as a ballerina.
the follies bergere wanted her as a singer-showgirl.
playboy wanted her as a centerfold.
she turned them all down.
she is her own woman.no stranger to the los angeles music scene, fans know nicole from jazz institutions like lunaria, monteleone's, miceli's, legacy, frankie's, chadney's and ca'del sole, among others.
nicole has shared the stage with some of the city's finest musicians, whether it be soloing with a fifty piece orchestra under the leadership of delbert taylor or the harold bennett trio.
she's had the pleasure of working with dick leslie, gildo mahones, herman riley, henry 'skipper' franklin and sherman ferguson, to name just a few.when she found jazz, nicole discovered passion and freedom: "it was like i'd gotten out of a girdle! my ears opened up and i heard and felt something new.
i was listening to my soul.
something happened to my heart.
you start to realize you are one of the instruments and you think: this is me!" 4front magazine, L.A.Jazz Scene and her listeners think so too.
at the 1999 santa barbara jazz festival, performed at the lobero theater, nicole received a standing ovation.
Nicole is also a Cancer survivor, that is why she has such a zest for life and great love for her music and her fans.
She would very musch like to perform in fund raisers for cancer research, that is one of her goal beside traveling the world bringing joy to all.
Check out the artist's website:
http://www.NicoleMartel.comTrack List:
1. La Vie En Rose
2. Watch What Happens
3. When The World Was Young
4. Besame Mucho
5. All The Things You Are
6. (I Don't Stand) A Ghost Of A Chance
7. C'est Si Bon
8. Magic Night Of Love
9. The Masquerade Is Over
10. Blossom's Blues (Nicole's Blues)
Suggested CDs:
Other Genres:
