I’ve heard Nikki Yanofsky’s version of Ella Fitzgerald’s “Airmail Special” a bunch of times, and each time it blows me away that I’m listening to an 8th Grader from Quebec wearing braces scat her way through five minutes of Ella! This CBC clip* was filmed in June 2007 when Nikki was 13, and I can only imagine her skill growing as she gets older. Compare this video with her performance in August 2006 when she was 12, and see how much her performance has matured in less than a year.
Little Nikki’s on the international jazz festival circuit and performing at Carnegie Hall; she’s got an early start to what could be a long and exciting career — provided she steers clear of becoming tabloid fodder!
* The last two minutes of the video is an interview, in French.