Review: Nicole Henry Lifts Spirits With MY FAVORITE THINGS at 54 Below

Our Lady of Jazz, Nicole Henry, returned to 54 Below recently for her annual Christmas concert.  Actually, it’s no longer en pointe to refer to Nicole Henry as a jazz singer, exclusively.  Yes, it is true that Ms. Henry’s explorations and exploits with the jazz genre have garnered her much praise, many accolades, and a lot, a Lot, a LOT of fans.  But if there is anything these last years of watching Nicole Henry play out in New York City have taught this writer, it is that Nicole Henry is an artist not to be labeled.  There is no putting the Lady in a lane and expecting her to stay there because Nicole Henry can sing (does sing) anything.  And, more specifically, Nicole Henry tailors every new show for every new room, for every new club.  After five years of seeing, reviewing, and photographing Nicole Henry in action, I can state, without reservation, that I have never seen her present the same show twice, with the exception of her Whitney Houston tribute show, which is structured more like a piece of theater than a concert, and, as such, must be performed uniformly, each time.  The Whitney Houston piece aside, though, every Nicole Henry show to play New York City is created especially for the occasion.  Her sold-out Birdland shows are always deeply rooted in jazz, while her standing-room-only appearances at 54 Below are a patchwork quilt of jazz, pop, musical theater, even a little gospel, and at Christmastime, possibly all of the above.  And even the Christmas show changes from year to year, to suit the mood.

In 2022, Nicole Henry played the supper club known as Broadway’s Living Room with a holiday concert titled WHEN I THINK OF HOME that featured a setlist full of upbeat, jovial music, and reminiscences about her childhood and family life in Philadelphia - perfect for holiday smiles and warm hearts.  This year, when Miss Henry slunk up to the stage in a head-to-toe sheath of sequins that sometimes appeared black in the light, and others showed off as green (her favorite color, she confessed), it was all sophistication and refinement.  Oh, there was plenty about which to smile, and a room full of warm hearts, but this was not a replay of Christmas shows of the past: the prodigy with the pretty voice came to give her fans the gift of a musical program they could take home and treasure as a unique experience.  And the fans were loving it.  Whether it was the die-hards who see every show (raises hand) or new 54B patrons like the two gentlemen sharing my table, swapping stories of the one show they saw years ago that made them into fans, or possibly other nightclub luminaries like Ron Abel and Lianne Marie Dobbs, the response to Henry’s Heavenly seventy-five minutes of exquisite musical storytelling was repeatedly and consistently enthusiastic, as well it should have been.

Although a holiday show, MY FAVORITE THINGS was not exclusively dedicated to Christmas music, although Nicole did point out that the R&H classic (her new single) is considered a Christmas song.  The evening was, indeed, dedicated to those things that Henry holds dear to her heart: family, her father, shoes, Nancy Wilson, collard greens, miracles, James Taylor, desert, Philly, dancing (some of those famous Nicole Henry dance moves were on display), and a great band (and, believe me, this was a GREAT BAND).  Leaning on her jazz roots, Henry presented right proper intricate arrangements of classic standards like “That’s All” and her show’s title song, rich with her powerful vocals and replete with the band’s skilled craftsmanship because no jazz treatment is complete without those eyebrow-raising solos (of which the evening featured many, thank goodness).  Allowing herself (and her audience) the luxury of some of the acting skills she employs when working on the musical theater stage, Nicole settled into some more emotion-laden musical opportunities like the Luther Vandross hit “So Amazing” and the Dianne Reeves classic “You Taught My Heart To Sing,” but the acting wasn’t limited to the pop songs, for Nicole Henry pulled out all the stops on evening highlights “River” and “(You Don’t Know) How Glad I Am,” the latter of which featured a tantalizing tease by way of Nicole confessing that she has been at work (for a few years) on a Nancy Wilson tribute album - if only she could narrow down the song selection.  The announcement drew gasps before she started the number but when she finished singing the song that won the legendary Wilson her first Grammy, you could pretty much feel the entire room wishing and willing the album into existence.  Maybe it’s something to which we can all look forward, for next Christmas.

And on the subject of Christmas, lest anyone forget that this was, in fact, a Christmas show, Ms. Henry offered a cornucopia of Christmas selections, ranging from a stunningly jazzy “We Need A Little Christmas” from Mame (a role this writer would endorse seeing Henry play onstage) to a spectacular “Joy To The World” made just-so by the collaboration between Nicole and the band, an increasingly rhythmic and thoroughly joyful “Angels We Have Heard On High” (the vocals were insane), and an absolutely perfect “O Holy Night” that closed the evening out in grace and gratitude.  And, of course, there was a performance of “This Christmas” which, during her 2022 show, Nicole pointed out is considered the black community’s personal holiday song (thank you, Donny Hathaway).  Henry does Hathaway proud.  Indeed, Nicole Henry does her industry proud, not just by constantly presenting musical storytelling at the highest vibration but also by connecting with her audience, as any prudent artist should.  When she is not engaged in the act of singing, Nicole Henry spends her time on stage talking with the people in the seats out front, and not from a script that has been written and rehearsed to a point where it sounds rote.  There may be a script, there may be an outline, there may be a framework, but when she opens her mouth to talk to the audience, it is clear the script has been thrown out: she is deliciously extemporaneous, throwing out off-the-cuff jokes that make the audience giggle gleefully, sharing her true stories and her true self while discussing her father’s corny jokes, her devotion to the higher being in which she places her faith, and encounters with strangers on trains who become friends and fans, one of whom she met days earlier, who came to the show!  The Henry humanity is palpable.  One of the main (if not THE main) benefits of small venue performing is that intimate connection with the audience.  Audiences at Madison Square Garden don’t get this unless they are butt-up against the stage, usually alongside security guards.  When an artist enters a small venue like 54 Below, an important part of their job, of their artistry, is connecting with their audience and sending them home feeling like they’ve been somewhere special, seen something unique, participated in something magical.  Nicole Henry, whether singing, whether dancing, whether chatting, gives that to her audience.  She does this every time.  She does this for every person.  It’s a gift that she has, a gift that she shares, not just at Christmastime, but all year round.  That (and the music) is probably why the people keep coming back, and, every time, in greater number.  And THAT is one of MY favorite things.

The MY FAVORITE THINGS band (SO amazing) was Aaron Lebos on Guitar, Corey Rawls on Drums, Jonathan Nichel on Bass, and Petter Wallace Musical Directing from the Piano.

Visit the Nicole Henry website HERE.

Find great shows to see on the 54 Below website HERE (there are a lot of fun holiday shows left to see).

Photos by Stephen Mosher

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