Nikoletta Szoke - A Song for You (2009)

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Nikoletta Szoke - A Song for You (2009)

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Nikoletta Szőke is a young Hungarian jazz singer with a pure, emotive voice and a bright future. Born in 1983 in Hungary into a musical Gypsy family, she showed talent at an early age. She found and began singing jazz after high school, and in 2005 won the first prize and the public prize in the Shure Montreux Jazz Voice Competition. A label that searches for new talent far and wide, Atelier Sawano is now introducing her to jazz fans in Japan and beyond.
Following her self-produced debut CD, Golden Earrings, comes a full-fledged new album produced for Atelier Sawano by the late Klaus Weiss, a superb German drummer who helped create many of Sawano's great jazz albums. Szőke is also aided by Weiss' frequent partner and bassist Thomas Stabenow, and a fellow Hungarian and wonderful pianist Robert Lakatos. Those familiar with the Sawano discography will realize that this is indeed a superb piano trio!
Such talented and experienced musicians, however, do not seem to faze Szőke, who is undoubtedly the star of this recording. Unlike her previous album that reflected her eclectic musical interests, she sticks mostly to standards (except for the title song by Leon Russell and "Just The Way You Are" by Billy Joel), and she sings and swings them confidently. No wonder this CD became a big hit in Japan!