“Nancy's going to be a big presence in this town. She's already a total ‘pro,’ but she's working with more and more musicians, learning more about the business all the time, and earning a great reputation among the musicians and audiences alike. There's a lot of very cool stuff ahead for both Nancy and her rapidly expanding fan base.” –Arne Fogel 
 

Nancy Harms©Andrea Canter

One of the most entertaining aspects of the 2009 Twin Cities Jazz Festival’s “Jazz Night Out” was a Singers Showcase at Camp Bar, featuring the wide-ranging, cross-generational talents of the Jazz Vocalists of Minnesota, an organization of singers, instructors and vocal jazz enthusiasts. Among the veteran singers (Arne Fogel, Lucia Newell, Dorothy Doring) was a much younger vocalist who launched her public career just three years ago. Nancy Harms quickly became a regular performer at venues such as Rossi’s, The Times, Fine Line, and Dakota. On July 7th, Nancy returns to the Dakota with some favorite tunes and songs she has been recording for her debut CD, due out by the end of the year. Praised by such area legends as Arne Fogel, Nancy brings a solid sense of swing and a balance of groove and storytelling to the stage through such familiar vehicles as Gershwin and Ellington as well as less standard fare. 

Nancy Harms©Andrea Canter

After college graduation, Nancy became an elementary music teacher in Milaca, MN, noting that “I wanted to sing professionally” but lacked the “knowledge of how to get started or the guts to leap.”  She continued performing as much as her time would allow, finally made the move to Minneapolis three years ago. “After moving here, my love of jazz was solidified and I have found my musical home in it.”  Starting to perform around the area in summer 2007, Nancy debuted at the Dakota that August and formed the Nancy Harms Trio. “There is so much to learn given my later start,” she says, “but it is a joyous process because it is so meaningful to me.  It is not today's popular music, which makes things a bit more difficult, but I'm doing what I love and there's no replacement for that.  I am excited and honored to be part of this amazing and rich art form.” 

Nancy’s inspiration comes from diverse jazz sources.  She was first attracted to Louis Armstrong and Harry Connick, particularly “their playfulness and sense of swing.” Another favorite is Lauryn Hill, who “possesses one of my favorite voices of all time...she could possibly make me cry by singing about fence posts.  She was a regular in my CD player at college along with Ella, Harry and Louie.” She discovered Billie Holiday more recently. “I find her voice and phrasing to be unbearably charming and sweetly tragic.  Not being much of a belter myself, I have so much to learn about song delivery and phrasing from brilliant non-belters like Billie.”  Among modern icons, she notes that “at the moment I am listening to Kurt Elling the most.  I love what he chooses to sing about and how brilliant he is in the use of his voice.”   

Nancy further finds inspiration on the local scene, where she notes that “there are so many talented vocalists that I am learning from on and off the stage.  I am probably one of the biggest Donald Thomas fans around.  He drums more than he sings, but I had the privilege to catch him singing at the Times Jazz Brunch and found myself completely enthralled.  He's got a lovely instrument and it appears to be totally effortless for him.  He is a natural jazz singer.”  

Of her own style, Nancy explains that “I swing and love to play with the beat and am not afraid to occasionally go for a bit more modern sound.  In music, there's not much that I love more than a good groove, except maybe the telling of a great story and I try to focus on these two aspects of music-making.  Music can be a way of communicating vulnerability with people, even people one barely knows.  I believe we all (and especially myself) crave this kind of communication and I feel privileged to be in a field where that is at the heart of it.” 

Nancy Harms©Andrea Canter

At the Dakota and Beyond

These days Nancy is keeping busy with a variety of projects. As a member of the Hot Swing Combo, she’s performed in Chicago. And closer to home, she shared the stage with Arne Fogel and Connie Evingson in a salute to the “losers” in the Academy Awards Best Song category, “And the Nominees Were...” at the Hopkins Center for the Arts in April.  She’ll be at the Capri next spring with fellow songbirds Katie Gearty and Rachel Holder as part of the Twin Cities Jazz Society Jazz From J to Z concert series. But this week, you can enjoy Nancy and her very hip band at the Dakota on Tuesday, July 7th at 7 pm. 

The Dakota is located at 1010 Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis; call 612-332-1010 for reservations and visit www.dakotacooks.com. For Nancy’s gig schedule and music samples, visit www.myspace.com/nancyharms 

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