"The artists who have inspired me the most all sang so naturally. That helped me find my own sound." - Kandace Springs
A recurring anecdote among the musicians, mentors and record producers in Kandace Springs' orbit is that it takes just one song to get hooked on her sound. Piano and voice. From single performances, Prince invited her to play at his Purple Rain 30th anniversary show, Don Was signed her to Blue Note Records, and legendary producer Larry Klein agreed to helm her debut album. "Her sense of phrasing is way beyond her years," Klein says, "and her angular way of accompanying herself on piano grabbed me right away."
Barely out of her 20s and just two albums into an already shining career, Springs bends genres and blends styles to create her own brand of jazzy soul. She's the daughter of respected soul singer Scat Springs and grew up in Nashville with the sounds of Nina Simone, Roberta Flack, and Ella Fitzgerald records playing through the house. A self-described tomboy with a bent for collecting and restoring fast automobiles, Springs is by nature a tinkerer, a skill she put to good use learning piano from a young age. But it was hearing Norah Jones' cover of "The Nearness of You" that really inspired Springs to polish her craft and actually sing along with her playing. "It was just so soulful, simple, and stripped down," she says. "That really moved me and touched me."
Apropos the season of new life, we're thrilled to offer both of her albums. "Soul Eyes" is straight-up jazz and soul, showcasing her fresh sound backed by an illustrious cast of musicians. And "Indigo" is stylistically more diverse, with swirls of classical composition, hip-hop, jazz, tropical warmth and soulful depth. "What would Nina Simone do if she had the technology of today?" says Springs. "This LP took a lot of inspiration from that - it's a mix of everything that I am." A crowd favorite at our office, Springs is definitely in the air at 32 Bar Blues.
Kandace Springs was our Spring 2019 featured artist and we have sold out of our seasonal supply of her CD, but you can purchase direct from her website. For more info, click here.
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