Nina Ferro. Photo courtesy ninaferro.com
With her silky voice and stylish grace Nina Ferro delivers a sleigh-full of jazz ballads and sophisticated standards this week on Riverwalk Jazz. We’re celebrating that wonderful lull in the holiday hubbub that happens every year just about now—somewhere between ‘Santa’ and ‘New Year’s.’
Born in Melbourne, Australia, Nina Ferro started singing at the age of 14, and began singing jazz at the age of 16. Nina was classically trained and participated in a number of choirs, musicals, and elite vocal ensembles. In 1991, during her last year of High School, she joined the youthful Hotter Than Six Jazz Band.
“Somebody Loves Me” sheet music. Image courtesy JMHare.com
While working regularly around Melbourne, she began studying at the Victorian College of the Arts with the Improvisation Department. Along with this, she joined a contemporary improvising ensemble, Ten Apples on Top. With Hotter Than Six Nina traveled to the South Pacific Jazz Festival, and in 1994 and 1995 was featured at the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee.
Nina has appeared many times with The Jim Cullum Jazz Band and on the Riverwalk Jazz public radio series. She has performed at festivals, clubs and concerts throughout the USA, Europe, Asia and Australia and the Middle East.
Hoagy Carmichael’s “Star Dust” sheet music. Image courtesy americanmusicpreservation.com
Now based in London, Nina has appeared alongside such greats as Tony Bennett, Hugh Jackman, Jose Feliciano, Michael Buble, Billy Ocean and Ricky Martin. Since emerging on the UK scene, Nina has been performing regularly at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, Cafe De Paris, The Barbican, 606 Club, Shepherd’s Bush Empire, Octave Jazz Bar, The Spice of Life and many more. Nina’s music can be regularly heard on BBC Radio 2. Her own albums, songs, and performances have received rave reviews world wide.
Pianist Dick Hyman. Photo courtesy DickHyman.com
Also featured on this week’s show are sounds of the season with The Jim Cullum Jazz Band and their musical guests. Piano legend Dick Hyman plays Boogie-Woogie blues on the celeste with Meade Lux Lewis’ “Celestial Express,” while we fondly remember the late Henry Cuesta and Johnny Frigo with an encore presentation of a sentimental favorite, “Estrellita.”
Photo credit for Home Page and Recent Radio Broadcast Page: Nina Ferro. Photo courtesy ninaferro.com
Text based on Riverwalk Jazz script by Margaret Moos Pick ©2012
