CLAUDE HALL

Sat., Jan. 27.  CLAUDE HALL.  Already an “excellent singer,” in October at The Gardenia, Claude Hall made a quantum jump into the rarified air occupied by the extraordinary, “must-see” “ladies of cabaret” with her Nina Simone show, backed by Musical Director, Jamieson Trotter. The show examined the remarkable arc of Nina Simone’s life, from Simone’s “discovery” in an Atlantic City piano bar singing “I Loves You Porgy” through her participation in the civil rights movement.  For those who may have missed the October show, or who may wish to experience a “refresher” show, Ms. Hall reprises that “overview” show in preparation for a February booking in which Ms. Hall will explore Simone’s rich life in even greater and more personal depth, with material not included in the October “survey” show.  “Catch both shows for the full Nina experience,” Ms. Hall teases.

Born in Brooklyn of Haitian parents, Miss Hall moved to Paris in 1989, but an autumn weekend in Prague in 2003 proved pivotal when a friend overheard her singing a few Gershwin tunes and asked her to record a demo of “When I Fall In Love.”  This led to a sojourn in Saint Bart’s, where she became the resident singer at Casa Nikki and La Plage, and to which she returned in 2019 as the featured artist at the St. Bart’s Jazz Festival.  She has been resident artist at l’Ermitage Hotel, Hotel Angeleno’s West Penthouse Lounge, La Valencia Hotel, and at Bar Marmont, and she has also returned to New York to perform at the Metropolitan Room.