Necie

Necie grew up singing at her Baptist church in Austin, Texas, studied on a scholarship at The Juilliard School, performed in Broadway plays for years and then, based in Berlin, toured Europe as a vocalist and performer for another 12. In her travels, she was a studio and background vocalist with Tina Turner, Elton John, Roy Ayers, Nancy Wilson, Natalie Cole, Anita Baker, Luther Vandross; and in South Africa, Nelson Mandela commissioned her to perform at an ANC African National Festival for a crowd of more than 100,000.

She wound up in Frederick by chance -- after meeting and marrying her Frederick -based husband who told her the town was near Baltimore and D.C. She sold her home in Austin and moved.

She'll make her debut in Frederick at Danielle's on Saturday evening with a full jazz band -- guitar, bass, drums, percussion, keys -- and two backup vocalists.

Her style is a cross between jazz and R&B, with a funky, urban sound for a modern twist.

Necie began singing at the age of 5, when she went to church with her grandmother.

"I'd sit next to her in the choir. I loved it ever since then," she said.

By the time she was about 8, she was leading the choir on a few songs and noticed people liked it.

"In Baptist churches, you know, we stand up and shout," she said, laughing. "It just became a passion."

She began formal vocal training during her junior year of high school, then majored in music at the University of Texas. She studied music theory at Juilliard and began working with a keyboardist to focus on writing lyrics and melodies.

Since her move to Frederick in January, she's performed in Baltimore and D.C. She'll perform again in Frederick this fall at the Weinberg Center for the Arts.

She's far from regretting her move to the East Coast.

"It's like winning the lotto," she said. "There's so many talented musicians."

www.myspace.com/introducingnecie