Strobe Session #58 Nicole Kestler Quartet -"Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea"
This performance was recorded live in front of an audience at Strobe Recording Studios, Chicago Il, September 18th, 2014 as part of our Strobe Sessions (www.strobesessions.com). Nicole Kestler Quartet, featuring Nicole Kestler, Brian O’Hern on Piano, Lou Marini on Bass and Joe Adamik on Drums. Audio recorded by Jamie Wagner at Strobe Recording. Video production by Jeff Scheuermann and thanks to Annie Foley for her camera work!
Nicole Kestler is a Michigan native, Nicole discovered her love of singing while studying at Columbia College in Chicago. One word is often used to describe Nicole’s voice, “smoky”. With help from the swing craze of the late nineties, she went on to perform with some of the hottest bands of the scene; Alan Gresik’s Swing Shift Orchestra, the Riff Rockets, Jesse Scinto and the Dignitaries and Professor John and his band to name a few. Most recently Nicole has been known to be singing with some new big bands on the scene like, Big Band Boom and the newly formed Starfall Orchestra.
Although the Great American songbook is Nicole’s first love, for the past fourteen years she has been performing with Chicago’s premiere jump blues band the Rhythm Rockets. This band’s lively approach and bluesy repertoire has allowed Nicole to throw some dirt in with that smoke. The Rhythm Rockets pay tribute to the great ladies of rhythm and blues – Dinah Washington, Ruth Brown, and Ella Mae Morris just to name a few. The band currently plays 50 plus gigs at everything from clubs to outdoor festivals.
The roots of this performance go back to Nicole’s early years where she put up a quartet at the Leopard Lounge. That steady gig, and it’s players are the inspiration for tonights show and is a reunion of sorts. So sit back and enjoy some of the greatest songwriting of the 20th century performed by a group of very talented artists.
JOE ADAMIK: Joe Adamik is a multi-instrumentalist performer and composer from Chicago. He plays with Iron & Wine, Lanzón, Sonoi, The Jim Becker Group, The Bob Dogan Quintet, as well as others.
BRIAN O’HERN: Brian has been accompanying Nicole since the late 90s. His group, Brian OHern and the Model Citizens, performs every third Monday of the month at the Gallery Cabaret. Brian’s favorite hobby is drinking spirits.
