I was completely blown away by this concert - I assumed Nikki would be opening for John Pizzarelli (who I absolutely adore!) but lo & behold, HE was the opening act & SHE was the headliner! Not bad for a 16-year old gal.... I was fortunate enough to be sitting in the very first row, right in the center, so I was about 5 or 6 feet away from the performers - what a rush! John was great as usual, but Nikki was absolutely fabulous - what a voice, what a talent - she is definitely channeling Ella, especially with her scat singing...I saw her when she was last here at the JazzFest (the other performer on that double bill was Michael Kaeshammer) and thought she was incredible then, but now, just a short time later, she has really matured, She will only get even better as time goes on! It was a nice touch when Nikki invited John back on stage during her set so they could perform together - Wish they had done more than just one song - they really clicked!
I was grinning from ear to ear during the entire concert - the most fun I've had in a long time....Worth every penny I spent to sit that close!