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Reviews & Press for "TREASURE"
BLUES LEAF RECORDS, RELEASE DATE APRIL 14, 2009
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Some nice things happened for Nicole Hart this year:
TREASURE debuted at #14 on the Living Blues Charts nationwide!
TREASURE reached # 3 on Sirius/XM Satellite Radio BB King's Bluesville
TREASURE 18 weeks on the Weekly Blues & Root Charts nationwide
TREASURE Currently has two songs in rotation on Music Choice America
"FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR" 2009 5TH ANNUAL LOS ANGELES' SOUTH BAY MUSIC AWARDS!
"Fans who enjoy the blues-infused eclecticism of established stars Shemekia Copeland and Janiva Magness will find Hart a kindred spirit...The tight, versatile band is anchored by arranger Ong's masterful piano and organ - the CD's other "Treasure" ~ Blues Revue, October/November 2009
"Hart has a stunning voice." ~ Richard Ludmerer, Blues Wax, November 2009
"The stage caught fire in 8 seconds flat with the roars, whispers, shouts, and celestial movements of Ms. Hart’s voice. She is truly one of the best ladies of the Blues." ~ Michael Wolf Ingmier, Charlotte Blues Society Live Review, November 2009
"The Blonde Blueser cruises into Syracuse...This Georgia peach, currently touring in support of her CD, "Treasure" (Blues Leaf Records) has a supple voice that can handle the many ranges demanded by the funk, jazz and rhythm'n'blues musical persuasions. "
- Sarah Hogan, Syracuse New Times (Nov 11, 2009)
"In the 16 years that the Blues Summit has been on WMWV, I've heard a lot of Blues singers & bands. Occasionally a singer comes along that perks you ear and makes you think, "Yeah there's something special there." That's Nicole Hart. " ~ - Roy Prescott, 93.5 WMWV's Blues Summit, Conway, NH
With a vocalist who can sing practically anything she wants, and who helps write her own material along with a tight, hard working band; the Nicole Hart Band is ready for the next level of national stardom." ~ Ben Cox, Juke Joint Soul
"Hart unleashes fire and ice that Peggy Lee would’ve been proud to call her own and she can get as downright jazzed as Norah Jones." ~ Dr. Blues, Long Island Blues Society
"Nicole sings her ass off, and she gets strong musical support from a group of New Jersey's A-listers. On "Treasure" her label debut on Blues Leaf Records, she has captured all that Nicole Hart magic on one disc." ~ Bruce Edwards, Sunday Night Blogspot
"Nicole Hart's new CD "Treasure" sends chills up & down my spine." ~ John Tibbs, Detour Blues
"A wonderful, sultry voice... with beautiful phrasing, effortlessly competes with Winehouse and Duffy." ~ Keys and Chords
"Nicole Hart is one of the best voices in contemporary blues." ~ History of Blues
"Wonderful cd, "Treasure", by Nicole Hart - it is superb" ~ Dave Barker, STAR FM Radio, Australia.
"Good stuff! Lowdown and funky, and super vocals" ~ Dave Isaac, WKIT Bangor, ME
"I can't recall the last time I couldn't wait to sit down and start writing about a CD. Sure, the fact that the disc is killer always makes it exciting." ~ PETER "BLEWZZMAN" LAURO, mary4music.com
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Concert Reviews & Press for our first independent CD, "LIVE!"
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"Their initial CD,“Live,” is an in-performance document that testifies to their confidence and shows Hart's raw gospel passion and a seriously tight band."
~ RICK KOSTA, ARTS WRITER, NEW LONDON DAY NEWS, CT
"Nicole is a talent who is on the move up in the biz. I was impressed by her ability to work the crowd into a frenzy with her voice. This gal knows how to use her beauty to enhance her talent without turning it into a distraction."
~ WRITER RICK GRANT, REVIEW, SPRINGING THE BLUES"I know talent when I hear it. She has a tremendous future in the music industry...A major star."
~ BILL NOLAN, host of "Antique Blues", WPKN-FM 89.5, Bridgeport, CT
"What a stage presence! Gorgeous Nicole Hart sings with power, passion, and incredible range.. (her) BIG voice hits all the right notes...but it's the emotion in her voice that really grabs you."
~ JIM HYNES, Blues Director and Host of "Blue Monday" - WDVR-FM
"Nicole Hart leads the band with an incredible voice similar to that of Susan Tedeschi, but with a sound very much all her own."
~ AL LUNDY, KZUM Radio - NEBRASKA
"Don't let Atlanta native Nicole Hart's movie star good looks fool you, she can belt out vocals with the best in music. With her full rich tone, impeccable phrasing and precise pitch, it's obvious that she is a singer's singer."
~JERSEY SHORE JAZZ & BLUES FOUNDATION
"Nicole belts out some seriously soulful and very bluesy vocals... She really gets to show her broad and versatile range ... also highlighted by more great organ and guitar work."
~ Peter "The Blewzzman" Lauro, contributing writer to Blues Revue, Blueswax Ezine, and Mary4Music.com
"Been a long time since I heard a voice like yours...You got the magic."
~ BLUES LEGEND SAM "THE BLUZMAN" TAYLOR
"Imagine that classic band fronted by a beautiful blonde with a gospel voice and all the moves of Tina Turner. Get the picture?"
~ THE WORKING MUSICIAN
"Hart can give Sade a blues make over that is simply moving... shimmies the blues with a powerful beat and genuine feel of loss and pain..."
~ Mark "Dr. Blues" Gresser
"This blonde bombshell’s sweet, sultry and energetic vocals brought the audience into her hands."
~ The Journal News
“Wrote the book on putting on a perfect show. Their sound treated the blues in the highest regard. They exemplified how Blues doesn’t have to be just a simple twelve-bar phrase.”
~ GOOD TIMES MAGAZINE
“A big sound steeped in Jazz, R&B, Blues & Rock with incredibly soulful vocals. This band really knows how to cook with a blazing musical bonfire.”
~ MUSICMORSELS
“Spectacular vocals & instrumentals bring their considerable talents together to rock your world: Rhythm & Blues at its finest!”
~ BARRELHOUSE BLUES, recipient, USA Today’s coveted “Hot Site” award & “Livin’Blues”; Gold award for Virtual Excellence on the Web
“A top notch band of immense talents...something special in a world cluttered with the ‘next best things’...this band IS the next best thing.”
~ UNITED JERSEY BLUES NETWORK
"High energy, action-packed show. A real crowd pleaser!"
~ RIVERHEAD BLUES FESTIVAL
"First rate Rhythm & Blues show...hits all the right grooves in all the right places!"
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Dear Nicole Hart & the NRG Band:
"On behalf of the Junior League of Bronxville I would like to thank you for your wonderful performance at our recreation of Truman Capote’s the Party of the Century “The Black and White Ball” at Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, New York, on December 9th, 2006. It was an evening which included great friends, food and beautiful music provided by your band which allowed us the perfect atmosphere to raise funds to sustain the important ongoing JLB outreach programs that serve the women and children in the lower Westchester area. It was such a pleasure working with you to individualize the needs of our winter social, and gear the musical selection to suit our theme! Thank you again for your professional attitude and wonderful music and sound in making our evening a fantastic success!"
Best Regards,
Araxi P. Macaulay
Co-Chair
Winter Social Fundraising Committee
Junior League of Bronxville
"Nicole Hart & the NRG band was fabulous at keeping us entertained throughout the evening. This is one tight band that never missed a beat!"
~ OPA Racing, LLC.
"If you want to have an amazing time and make your occasion really special....book NICOLE HART & THE NRG BAND. AWESOME, Nicole. You guys are the best. Love your voice, love the musicians (all great players), your professional style and eagerness to please. Use my name as a reference ANYTIME. You made it such a wonderful night. Everyone was wowed at the party by you guys. I can't thank you enough. We are so lucky to have had you here. There's no better party band in the land."
~ Lisa Kalb, Senior Producer of television commercials in Manhattan for Publicis, the French advertising agency.
"No one wanted to leave the dance floor. Every one of you jammed hard with heart and soul and love. ....that moment will go down in history as the most connected, grounded moment to the earth and our hearts we have ever felt. We feel very blessed to have met you. Everyone should be as fortunate as us on their wedding day. Having you as our band was great..you were the very least of my worries. I didn't once have to worry... You just instinctively knew all the right moves, all the right tunes, all the right grooves... the party felt like it was just the beginning...like there was more to listen to and learn from and love about your performance... I wished it went on forever but there is always one of your gigs, right? "
~ JENNIFER AND DAN
"When we speak to guests about our wedding, the first thing they all say is, that band was amazing! From jazz during the cocktail hour, to a chill R & B dinner, to a dance until you can't breathe funk fest, you kept the energy levels high all night. Nicole Hart & the NRG Band was the pulse of our wedding."
~ Mike & Katrina
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"Nicole Hart & the NRG Band were great! Perfect for our event. Very professional. If you want to know more...have Nicole give you our telephone number...we'd recommend them anytime!"
~ Perry Shaeffer
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"Nicole Hart & the NRG Band was perfect for our party. The energy level of the room was immediately through the roof when they began to play."
~ Scott Grimm Lyon
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"Thank YOU so much! You guys did a great job and sounded awesome and everybody loved you. I will definitely recommend you guys to friends & family but I don't know if I'll even need to, they all were already very interested!"
~ Danielle Austin
"Music for the soul...and with Nicole I guarantee - do you hear me - positively guarantee...everyone will have a fabulous time - all night...that girl can sing...and those boys can play...I LOVE THIS BAND!!!!"
~ Rick Kalb, party co-host and very picky music critic
Nicole Hart and Lance Ong to Wed in Hawaii by Dave King
Nicole Hart and Lance Ong of the NRG band will wed on August 8, 2008 on the beach in Honolulu, Hawaii. After the wedding, they will start recording their upcoming studio release with Blues Leaf Records, which they hope to release by spring of 2009.
NESTLED BETWEEN the majestic Koolau mountain range on the east side of Honolulu, Hawaii, northeast of Diamond Head State Monument on the north and alongside Maunalua Bay and the blue Pacific Ocean on the south, is the Waialae Country Club, an expansive private PGA golf course with breathtaking vistas, lush Bermuda grass, greens and fairways. With palm trees and other tropical vegetation, which dot the layout and a natural stream that crosses the course and empties into the bay, it would be the perfect venue for any performer. But to Nicole Hart and Lance Ong it is an idyllic backdrop for their wedding.
Nicole Hart and Lance Ong will take their marriage vows on August 8 at 8 am, just after the sun breaks over the horizon from their view on the beach. This panorama will provide a snapshot moment and the sound of circling seagulls and waves lapping on the beach will create a soundtrack that will stir their memories for a lifetime together.
"Many of you thought we were already married! Well, if so, it is because Lance and I have been a team right from the beginning, and we are now making it ’official’, wrote Hart in a glowing wedding announcement to her many fans.
To marry they waited for the perfect date, a date with a special significance. To the Chinese the number 8 symbolizes infinity-it has neither a beginning nor an end. So for Hart and Ong, August 8, 2008 (8/8/08) was the day they chose.
The bride will wear an island-style peacock blue and gold embroidered Tadashi gown purchased for the occasion. The groom will wear a beautiful white embroidered shirt purchased from the Experience Music Project in Seattle, Washington.
Why was the Waialae Country Club, Honolulu, chosen to hold the wedding and reception? According to Hart, "I had been to Hawaii previously and so loved it, that when Lance asked me to marry him, there was never any doubt that we would hold the ceremony there. Also, Lance’s family had all lived there for some time, so they know the local folks and it was very easy and economically sound to do it there, rather than fly everyone over here to New York. Besides, it’s just beautiful! I hope to retire there someday! Doesn’t everyone? I can always hope!"
Nicole Hart and Lance Ong are members of Nicole Hart and The NRG band, fronted by Nicole. The band comprises vocals, bass, keyboards, drums and guitar. The band’s sound is described as a mixture of blues, funk, rhythm and blues and soul. They have played to rave reviews by fans and critics alike wherever they have played. They will wrap up an east coast tour, which will take them from Ohio to as far south as Mobile, Alabama, the Florida panhandle and South Florida, then back home to New York again before they jet across country for their ’Big Day’ on the Honolulu beach.
When they return to the east coast to assume their lives as husband and wife, Hart and Ong will schedule recording their upcoming studio release with Blues Leaf Records, which they hope to release by spring of 2009.
About the Bride and Groom
Nicole Hart
Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Hart’s timeless, powerful, intoxicating voice is beautifully soul/sweet - silky, then gritty - classic yet absolutely contemporary - and she is renowned for her electrifying stage presence. Hart’s impressive resume includes work with a variety of music greats such as Harry Belafonte, Billy Joel, Oscar Winning Film Director Jonathan Demme, Richard Bona, Drew Zingg, Chuck Berry, and Bo Diddley; she has opened for Bernard Allison, Odetta, EC Scott and Richie Havens. She has the unique distinction of being the first-ever Caucasian singer for the Hall of Fame Rhythm and Blues super group, the Shirelles.
Lance Ong
Lance Ong, keyboards, vocals, musical director is second generation Chinese-American. Other Ong was part of a team that produced, wrote and arranged over 700 songs and whose credits include a Grammy Award-winning record by Andre Crouch and recordings with David Sanborn, The Pointer Sisters, Grand Funk Railroad, Michael Murphy, Frankie Beverly and Maze, Anne Murray, Johnny Halliday and Sylvie Vartan, Trini Lopez, Erykah Badu and many others. His masterful command of the keyboards is undisputed.
We asked the bride and the groom:
How and where did Lance propose?
This is a secret…:-)
As musicians, did you decide on a wedding song? What is it?
"At Last." Corny, we know, but we found each other at last.
As you are getting married in Hawaii, where in the world will you possibly honeymoon?
Waikiki and Kuai.
What is the very first thing you will do upon returning to the mainland as husband and wife?
We have a performance within 24 hours of landing!
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