National Finals | Current Schedule | Our National Champions | Historical Events | Judges | Directors | Search
Recordings | Groups | Goals | Rules | How to enter | Contact Us | About Us | Publicity Photos Boston | Chicago | Los Angeles | New York | Pacific North West | San Francisco | Mid Atlantic (DC)Recording artist, Nicolas Bearde, a seasoned and highly respected showman, has established himself as a powerful presence in the contemporary jazz vocal mileu over the past couple of decades. His silky baritone sound invites comparisons to Johnny Hartman, Lou Rawls, and Joe Williams, and his wit and engaging rapport captures and draws the audience into his live performances. Nicolas has 5 CD's out on his own label, Right Groove Records… his most recent album release, "Invitation" in January 2016, rose quickly to the Top 20 on the Jazz Week Charts, garnering rave reviews at home and abroad.
For the past 30+ years, Nicolas has made major marks in the world of jazz as an original member of Bobby McFerrin's innovative a cappella ensemble, "Voicestra", while carving out his own distinctive solo career. With classic performances and innovative interpretations of jazz standards and blues - Nicolas is the definitive jazz romantic. He'll steam you up with an original soulful song like Love Me, pull you into the nuanced emotion of a classic Bill Wither's tune, Can We Pretend, or captivate you with a stirring rendition of Naima, a John Coltrane ballad.
When Bobby decided to take a break from the group in the mid-90's, Bearde and other members of "Voicestra" branched off into a smaller unit, and named themselves, SoVoSò. "We followed in the improvisational tradition of "Voicestra", but added more gospel, Latin and R & B elements," he says. SoVoSò went on to win numerous awards and honors, among them 1st-place at the renowned a cappella summit CASA awards, and nominations for "Best Group", "Best Album" and Nicolas as "Best lead vocalist". Throughout the 1990's, while developing his acting skills and sideline, and participating in the a cappella adventures of" Voicestra" and SoVoSò, Bearde continued to do his solo thing.