Keep Reachin' Up

Before her she released her debut album, Helsinki-based retro-contemporary soul singer, songwriter, and producer Nicole Willis gained experience in the music industry through performing guest and background vocals for a diverse list of artists, including Deee-Lite, The The, and Leftfield. More significantly, the Brooklyn native was a member of Repercussions, an early Mo Wax outfit that debuted in 1992 and released an album for Warner Bros. in 1995. A few years later, Willis was finally showcased on her own with Soul Makeover (2000), a hybrid set of downtempo, house, and contemporary R&B co-produced with husband Jimi Tenor and Maurice Fulton. After the similar Be It (2004), she teamed up with Finland band the Soul Investigators for a series of releases deeply rooted in traditional soul: Keep Reachin' Up (2005), Tortured Soul (2013), and the relatively upbeat and varied Happiness in Every Style (2015). Recorded with the Finnish UMO Jazz Orchestra and arranged by Tenor, My Name Is Nicole Willis (2017) combined new versions of past works with freshly written material. ~ Diana Potts