Kandace Springs — an accomplished artist whose soulful jazz singing led her late mentor Prince to praise her “voice that can melt snow” — has announced her newest project, The Women Who Raised Me, out on Blue Note Records on March 27. Produced by Grammy-winning producer Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock) — who produced Kandace’s 2016 debut Soul Eyes — The Women Who Raised Me is a tribute album to the musicians who most impacted Kandace’s music, stylings, and journey.
Alongside the album announcement, Kandace also releases lead single “Pearls,” a song made famous by legendary R&B singer Sade. In a black and white video, Springs is featured in a series of vignettes – performing in a studio and wandering about the city on a quest of self-reflection, her stunning vocals giving a vital energy to an iconic song.
The Women Who Raised Me features renditions of songs made famous by some of history’s most iconic vocalists: Ella Fitzgerald, Roberta Flack, Astrud Gilberto, Lauryn Hill, Billie Holiday, Diana Krall, Carmen McRae, Bonnie Raitt, Sade, Nina Simone, and Dusty Springfield. The Women Who Raised Me also features a cover of and a collaboration with Kandace’s “ultimate inspiration,” Norah Jones.
“This is an album I’ve been wanting to make forever,” says Springs. “It really expresses my love for all of these singers and gratitude for what they gave me. Each taught me something different and all of those lessons combined to make me who I am now.” Tracked live in the studio, the album finds Kandace singing and playing piano in the company of a spare but able band — including guitarist Steve Cardenas (Norah Jones), bassist Scott Colley (Carmen McRae), and drummer Clarence Penn (Diana Krall) — that allows her remarkable gifts to shine.
More information on Kandace Springs can be found at her official website.
