Jazz Police - Weekend Jazz at The Lex: Nichola Miller (Friday) and Lucia Newell (Saturday)

The Lexington has long been one of the grand restaurant destinations in the Twin Cities. Now it is also a key destination for swinging vocal jazz. Under the stewardship of vocalist/broadcaster/producer/historian Arne Fogel, The Lex has hosted jazz two nights per week since February, usually in the tony Williamburg Room. Over the past six months, the calendar has boasted such area stars as Debbie Duncan, Patty Peterson, Maud Hixson, Sophia Shorai, and Fogel himself. This weekend, bossa and swing prevail, with Nichola Miller on Friday night, and Lucia Newell on Saturday night.

Nichola Miller has been swinging up a storm for the past 20 years, mostly in her native Twin Cities with a few years checking out the scene in New York. Back in the Twin Cities now for about 5 years, she was a regular at the old Times (usually with the Wolverines Trio) and Spoon River, recorded a live CD at the Artists Quarter in 2010, and more recently has been heard at Hell’s Kitchen and, during summer produce season, at Mill City Farmers Market. Many have compared Nichola to the great Anita O’Day, and indeed she counts Anita as a major influence. But many others serve as sources of inspiration, including Chris Connor, Carmen McRea, Astrud Gilberto, Juao Gilberto, Chet Baker, Louis Prima, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and the Twin Cities’ Maud Hixson. And she also cites Willie Nelson, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and rockers The Kinks, Bowie, Guided By Voices, Beastie Boys, Pixies, The Replacements, Tom Waits, Velvet Underground, Talking Heads, CCR, Al Green, Yo La Tengo, The Ramones, AC/DC, and Prince.

Put all those influences into one mouth, and what you get is hip and sassy. And a heavy dose of what Nichola describes as “Old School Thumpin’ Jazz.” She wears the title like a gold crown on her 2010 release,Thou Swingeth, breathing such fresh energy into the most familiar Gershwin or Porter tune that you suddenly notice lyrics and nuances that previously escaped attention. Few singers today treat lyrics with the same respect afforded the melody, and fewer still articulate so cleanly that the listener can actually catch every word. To these virtues add stellar intonation, phrasing that perfectly aligns with each song’s emotional character, and a sense of swing that conjures such icons as Ella and Anita, and you’ll have a good idea of the pleasures that await you at The Lex, where she performs with pianist Tanner Taylor. “As the local dance community knows,” warns sister songbird Maud Hixson, “Nichola can swing you into bad health.”

Lucia Newell©Andrea Canter

Described by Minnesota Monthly as “one of the most powerful vocalists on the Twin Cities scene,” Lucia Newell has spun Brazilian samba, French ballads and bop melodies; she has sung with the great Billy Eckstein, the Rio Jazz Orchestra, and Oscar Castro Neves; paid tribute to Anita O’Day and Betty Carter, and rendered lyrics in three languages. A Minneapolis native, Lucia spent her early career singing and studying in Los Angeles, Brazil, and Mexico, returning to the Twin Cities as a studio backup vocalist for Jimmy Jam Harris, Terry Lewis and Monte Moir of Flyte Time. Over the past two decades, Lucia has been engaged in voice-over work, performing, teaching, composing, and pursuing her life-long study of music. A linguist as well as vocalist, she writes lyrics in English, Spanish and Portuguese, and has translated many of her favorite Brazilian songs. In addition to her appearances with her quartet, Lucia has performed often with Soul Café, a jazz trio (Laura Caviani, Steve Blons, and Brad Holden) combining poetry and music, and appearing on their 2006 release (Jazz and Poetry), reading the poems of Pablo Neruda and singing the songs of Rogers and Hart.

Her first recording, Enter You, Enter Love, with guitarist Joan Griffith, was hailed as a “wonderfully surprising collection of love songs...that brings to mind steamy, moonlit tropical nights” (Sun Current). Her work with Pete Whitman, along with her love of Billy Strayhorn, led to her 2005 release, Steeped in Strayhorn, described by Alan Bargebuhr in Cadence as “alive with authentic jazz affirmation.” Collaborating again with Joan Griffith, Lucia appears as guest vocalist on Sambanova (2008) and as part of Alma Brasiliera’s Circle of the Dance (2010), with Griffith and Clea Galhano on recorder. Recent performances have included tributes to singers she describes as her “music mentors,” the late Betty Carter and Anita O’Day, and a quartet set at the 2012 Twin Cities Jazz Festival. At The Lex, Lucia will be joined by pianist Adi Yeshaya and bassist Jeff Bailey.

The Lexington is located at 1096 Grand Avenue in St Paul; http://thelexongrand.com. This weekend’s music will take place in the South Dining Room; reservations recommended. No cover with $20 dining room purchase. Music 6:30-10:30 pm.