There have, of course, been many success stories in music of pop stars who ascend to prominence at unusually young ages. One of the more remarkable is Nicole "Nikki" Yanofsky, a Montreal-based chanteuse (born in 1994) whose four-barreled voice and jazz stylings enabled her to snag a status as the youngest performer ever to tackle a solo gig at the Montreal Jazz Festival (in 2006, at age 12). Not only did she command sellout crowds, she did so innumerable times and performed to audiences of over 100,000 attendees. This release finds Yanofsky headlining another show in La Belle Ville, with selections including "Cool My Heels," "Over the Rainbow," "Take the 'A' Train," "The Circle Game," and " I Got Rhythm."

Sixteen-year-old Nikki Yanofsky is poised to break out as one of the year's most-exciting new artists with her self-titled CD Nikki. The press has hailed Yanofsky as a "young Ella Fitzgerald"--from jazz to originals, she is among the most unique vocalists in recent time. She has been captivating audiences from jazz festivals around the world and most recently appeared at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

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These 83 songs go a long way toward demonstrating how Little Feat evolved their hard-to-define but infectious swamp-rock, blues, and boogie sound. The final disc in the four-disc Hotcakes & Outtakes, dubbed "Studio Outtakes," offers up the very first demo tapes made by Lowell George, the mastermind of the group.
Backed by keyboardist Billy Payne, drummer Richie Hayward, and bassist Roy Estrada (the first player to leave the band), George's down-and-dirty slide guitar and plaintive voice blend grit, intelligence, and humor. Combining an off-center Southern California rock sensibility (George and Estrada had both been members of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention) with a love of New Orleans rhythms, Little Feat became a quintessentially American band. Songs from their classic albums are gathered here, as well as live recordings and tracks from the post-George era. After George died, the group took a hiatus in the 1980s before reforming; the third disc chronicles 1988 to '98 and shows that Little Feat are as distinctive as ever. The box includes notes by Bud Scoppa, interviews with the group's founding members, and a previously unseen painting by Neon Park, whose cover art graced a number of Little Feat albums. The definitive Feat overview, this is ideal for old fans and newcomers alike.
Wally Shoup