Holly Cole

Holly Cole is set to release her 13th studio album, ‘Dark Moon’, on January 24th. Teaming up with her long-time live performance partners, along with additional musicians to create rich harmonies and layers, this album is a true ensemble project that highlights her signature style.

Cole said, “I really wanted this album to embrace the spirit of spontaneity. At the same time a quintessential part of the sound of my music is in the arrangements. So, we did very little rehearsal in advance, and the songs were incredibly fresh for us while we were in the studio. The musicians that I play with contribute greatly to the arranging of the songs, and I wanted to hear the sound of when the light goes on for each one of us and many of the arrangements fell together as we played them. What we end up hearing on this record is the the moment when we discover what we love about the song, and what its essence is for me.”

The ensemble that Holly has brought together to help create and perform on ‘Dark Moon’ includes long time live performance / recording mates, Aaron Davis (piano), George Koller (bass), Davide Direnzo (drums) and John Johnson (saxophone). Add to that the brilliance of sometime accompanist’s including guitar master and provocateur Kevin Breit and on harmonica two-time Grammy winner and original member of Bella Fleck and the Flecktones, Howard Levy and finally the wonderful three-part 1950’s Nashville style harmonies of the Good Lovelies. Together they define the absolute best in “ensemble playing”!

The first featured single is ‘No Moon At All’ is an up-tempo, sexy version of the track originally recorded by Peggy Lee that features a wonderful Howard Levy (2-time Grammy winner, friend, and original member of the Flecktones) harmonica solo. ‘Dark Moon’ is available via Rumpus Room/Universal Music Canada on CD, 180-gram black vinyl, standard, Hi-Res digital + ATMOS

Holly Cole began her career in 1989 with the release of her 4-song EP ‘Christmas Blues’ under indie label Alert Music, followed by her debut album ‘Girl Talk’ in 1990.

In 1992, she signed with Blue Note’s Manhattan imprint and released ‘Blame It on My Youth’ which achieved Platinum + sales in Canada, over 200,000 copies internationally, and based on the success of the single “Calling You”, a number 1 charted single and album in Japan. The next album based on her hit rendition of Johnny Nash’s, “I Can See Clearly Now” and its accompanying video cemented her success internationally setting up her following release, the critically acclaimed, Temptation, an album made up of material exclusively written by Tom Waits, one of Holly favourite songwriters.

Gabriel Yacoub, Roberta Flack, Holly Cole, Jowee Omicil and Allen Ginsberg

by Cliff Furnald
March 15, 2025

RootsWorld Radio slips between the cracks of jazz, folk and popular idioms this month with music from two artists we recently lost: Gabriel Yacoub from France and Roberta Flack. We'll also hear from Los Lobos (US), Jaune Toujours & Gangbe Brass Band (Belgium and Benin), Irma Thomas and Galactic (US), Adrian Quesada & Abraham Alexander (US), Jowee Omicil (US), Allen Ginsberg, Sylvie Courvoisier & Mary Halvorson (US), Tupa Ruja (Italy), Urna Chahar-Tugchi (Mongolia), Holly Cole (Canada), Maia Friedman (US) and ...

Play This!

Holly Cole: Kiss Me Quick

by John Chacona
February 4, 2025

Hands up everyone who thinks there should be more vibes solos on Elvis Presley covers. Though press materials don't credit the player, they identify Kevin Breit as the guitarist (was there any question?) on this Western Swing-flavored chart of the 1961 Doc Pomus / Mort Shuman song. Holly Cole sings it with just the right proportion of winking insinuation and hormonal rush. Corny? Sure, but music-making this slyly intelligent is enough to get a fellow all shook up.

267

Album Review

Holly Cole: The Best of Holly Cole

Read "The Best of Holly Cole" reviewed by AAJ Staff

by AAJ Staff
January 20, 2003

From the spare supports of the soaring “Calling You" to the lush strings of an instantly recognizable “Blame it On My Youth," Canadian chanteuse Holly Cole’s arrangements and internalized delivery make nearly every selection sing on their own and linger sweetly in the musical mind. Re-grooving Lennon and McCartney’s “I’ve Just Seen a Face" and adding a Burt Bacharach bass line to Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now," Cole takes a great song and makes it great again in ...

271

Album Review

Holly Cole: Romantically Helpless

by Mathew Bahl
April 1, 2001

The irony of this CD title is hard to miss. Holly Cole’s confident, smoky alto might convey dark humor or cautious optimism, painful regret or self-aware neurosis, but definitely not helplessness. Ms. Cole combines the modern, post-feminist attitude of the Lilith Fair crowd with the sophistication of a pre-rock interpretative singer.

Holly Cole has always been difficult to categorize. Jazz purists have never been taken with Ms. Cole’s eagerness to embrace contemporary music forms or her tendency to subvert material ...

151

Album Review

Holly Cole: The Best Of Holly Cole

by AAJ Staff
December 1, 2000

Holly Cole has remained an acquired taste for many listeners who like to slot artists into pre-determined categories. And that’s not quite fair. Rising in awareness and not quite acceptance among jazz enthusiasts throughout the nineties, Cole has continued to perform the tunes that intrigue her--that is, tunes with meaningful lyrics and tunes which offer opportunities for creative interpretation. The Best Of Holly Cole isn’t going to change anyone’s opinions about her. In fact, the CD retrospective of ...

224

Album Review

Holly Cole: The Best Of Holly Cole

by Jim Santella
December 1, 2000

A sensitive, ballad project, The Best Of Holly Cole compiles selected smoky pearls from her ‘90s albums Yesterday & Today, Blame It On My Youth, Dark Dear Heart, Don’t Smoke In Bed, Temptation and It Happened One Night. Nearly half are slow, romantic numbers, while the others drive steadily with a cool detachment. Pop music sentiment and a touch of country-western charm bring Cole’s heartfelt performances closer to a rather large audience. She’s doing for today’s audience what Billie Holiday, ...

198

Festival

18th Annual Rosslyn Jazz Festival: Holly Cole, Lafayette Gilchrist and Spanish Harlem Orchestra

Source: All About Jazz
August 5, 2008

Arlington, Va - Praised among our region's standout jazz festivals by JazzTimes magazine, the 18th Annual Rosslyn Jazz Festival takes place on Saturday (12:30pm - 7:00pm), September 6, 2008, at Gateway Park, 1300 Lee Hwy (N. Lynn St. & Lee Hwy), in Arlington, Virginia (just across Key Bridge from Georgetown, 2 blocks from Rosslyn Metro Station). The event features yet another powerful lineup, including versatile vocalist Holly Cole - Canada's 2008 Juno Awardee for “Best Jazz Album"; Grammy Award-winning Salsa ...
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Performance / Tour

Holly Cole at World Cafe Live on May 27, 2008

Source: All About Jazz
May 20, 2008

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Performance / Tour

Holly Cole "A Night Before Christmas" Concert at the House of Blues

Source: House of Blues Concerts Canada
November 15, 2006

HOUSE OF BLUES CONCERTS CANADA PRESENTS An Evening With... Alert Music Recording Artist... HOLLY COLE A Night Before Christmas Holly Cole, accompanied by her talented band and backed by a symphony orchestra, will delight her fans with a special holiday performance on Tuesday, November 28th at the NAC Southam Hall. Holly Cole has impressed as one of the most inspired and inspiring contemporary interpreters of popular song for well over a decade. She has ...
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