Kandace Springs

“A bewitching amalgam of Dusty Springfield’s caliginous, cream-filled soulfulness and Nancy Wilson’s sensual sophistication, with distinct shades of Michael Jackson” (JazzTimes), the stunning soul jazz singer Kandace Springs presents music from her latest Blue Note release, The Women Who Raised Me, joined by master drummer Camille Gainer and rising bassist Liany Mateo.

Springs first gained national attention with her 2014 self-titled EP, a hip-hop inflected project that led to performances on Jimmy Kimmel Live and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, appearances at the Afropunk and Bonnaroo festivals, and an invitation to perform with Prince at Paisley Park for the 30th anniversary of Purple Rain. While elated by these opportunities, she started rethinking her musical direction and gravitated toward the jazz and soul-based sounds of her Nashville upbringing.

Reuniting with GRAMMY-winner Larry Klein, who produced her stunning debut Soul Eyes, Springs chose to honor the women whose music was such an inspiration during her early life in Nashville. Working with Klein (whose credits include albums by Lizz Wright, Melody Gardot, Joni Mitchell, and Herbie Hancock), Springs conceived The Women Who Raised Me as a loving tribute to Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, and Dusty Springfield, featuring Springs’ lustrous voice and deft piano accompanied by heavyweight players Christian McBride, Chris Potter, Avishai Cohen, and Elena Pinderhughes.