Striking new vocalist Ollice Spaulding is winning over New York one gig at a time. The Lexington, Kentucky native has a singular sound she describes as “a hybrid of classic American jazz mixed with Motown and neo-soul.” And her mellifluous blend of genres has been turning heads and ears since she debuted on our stage last month.
Spaulding cites legends of song like Diana Ross, Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald as early musical influences, but she has an appetite for all kinds of music, including Michael Jackson and Cleo Soul. A family member got her hooked on performing from the start. “My earliest musical memory was my grandpa spinning James Brown records,” she tells us. “And the first time I saw a Broadway show was when I knew that there was nothing else on the planet I wanted to do more!”
Even at a young age, Spaulding has an impressive list of performance credits, including stints with the Lexington Philharmonic, a spot on the annual “Red Light Jazz Room,” and her one woman show “Hollywood Under the Vine” at Ghost Baby Jazz Club, paying tribute to the Hollywood starlets of the 1950s and ‘60s.
The Kentucky native can’t get enough of New York City. “My favorite things to do here are visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, go to Broadway and jazz shows, and go out salsa and swing dancing,” she says.
But it’s at The Club Room where she feels most at home. “I love it there,” she tells us. “Tell anyone who buys a ticket that they’ll have a great view of the performers, as well as amazing food and drink. And that’s exactly the kind of place I want to perform in!”
