Aimee Nolte Will Do Just Fine
Because I’m a piano enthusiast, my algorithm shows me endless “how to” videos. I see bebop lines, Bill Evans chord voicings, all manner of modes, tips and tricks. They are usually played and demonstrated too fast. This past year I became aware of Aimee Nolte through her many instructional videos, where she breaks down the fundamentals of improvisation concisely, without grandstanding or condescension. Having watched a few, I asked the revered pianist Josh Nelson if he was aware of Aimee Nolte. “She’s fantastic,” he said without hesitation.
There are singers who scat, and then there are vocalists who draw improvisational inspiration from a deep well of musicianship. Aimee Nolte is the latter. She has the rare combination of a clear, natural and pleasing sound, laser accurate pitch and extraordinary technique. Her performance last night at Birds of a Feather was sincere, swinging, energetic yet unhurried, musical and fun. It was also, for this musician, extremely enlightening. She performed a duo with her long-time collaborator, guitarist Mike Scott.
Opening with an audience participation on “Autumn Leaves,” they had the crowd singing along in call and response to some very hip vocal lines. Relaxed and engaging, she navigated a well-paced set of jazz chestnuts, originals and pop. About halfway through the show, she got up from the piano and stood center stage in front of a Yamaha reface CP. She told us that she had been doing a series of gigs with Mike Scott in a venue that had no piano, an all-too-common situation for jobbing musicians. At this point in her life, she is not interested in carting her own keyboard, so was working as a stand-up singer. A friend at her local music store recommended the tiny CP keyboard. For Nolte, it was a match made in heaven. She used it to great effect at Birds of a Feather, where there is a piano, adding variety to the evening, as she played bass lines and fills to Scott’s excellent comping and soloing. Particularly impressive was how she used an organ patch in a rollicking version of “Jitterbug Waltz.” She and Scott were in complete command of the Fats Waller crowd pleaser, delivering cascading lines of harmony. She showed her range by performing a lively Mike Scott arrangement, a cover of The Pretenders “Don’t Get Me Wrong.” I was sitting next to singer and music educator Sara Leib, and when she finished, we turned to each other and said in unison, “That was awesome!”
She returned to the piano and closed out the set to thunderous applause from the full room. Somebody shouted “More!” from the back of the room. Aimee looked out and asked, “Is there time for one more?” Sidney Jacobs, who runs the room along with his partner Cathy Segal Garcia, said, “I’m the one who shouted for more!” For their encore, Scott called Hoagy Carmichael and Johnny Mercer’s “Skylark.”
“I’ll try to remember it,” said Nolte. Skylark is an interestingly constructed song. With a somewhat tricky transition into the bridge, and some angular phrases, it is a song that separates the haves from the have nots, vocally speaking. Nolte and Scott presented the beautiful ballad with sure footed ease and heartfelt emotion.
After the show, singer Jeffrey Gimble and I were talking with her, and she shared that she is headed up to Yoshi’s in Oakland for a night featuring the outstanding drummer Lorca Hart. She admitted to being a little nervous about performing for the first time in such a big room. She will do just fine.
Hat tip to Cathy Segal Garcia and Sidney Jacobs. Birds of a Feather is a comfortable and attractive intimate room, and the programming is first rate. If I weren’t otherwise committed, I would be there for the brilliant pianist Sam Hirsch tonight. Next Friday night the Chicago based singer/pianist Alyssa Allgood makes her Los Angeles debut. Both are highly recommended.
Comments