When you hear singer-songwriter Nina Ferro perform, or you play Into The Light, her latest CD, should you not quite believe your ears, then put your faith in Tony Bennett’s immaculate taste. After she had supported him in concert, the great vocalist said of Nina Ferro: “She’s a fabulous performer with a knockout voice.”
But you don’t need Mr. Bennett’s highly discerning musical ear to realise he is right. Once she starts to sing, even if you can’t tell an octave from an octopus, you’ll know instantly that you are in the presence of a formidable talent. Just check your vital signs. Goosebumps? Check. Spine tingling? Absolutely. Emotions uplifted? You bet.
That’s why Nina Ferro’s CV lists appearances alongside Tony Bennett, Gregory Porter, Chick Corea, Jose Feliciano, Billy Ocean, Chris Botti…  that knockout voice never disappoints.
Although resident in London these days – she was born and grew up in Melbourne, Australia – Italy is the motherlode of Nina’s vocal gifts. Or rather, the grandmotherlode, for her Italian paternal grandmother was an amateur mezzo-soprano who doubtless contributed some vital vocal genes, and it was the maternal one who first clued in Nina’s mother that her little girl had some serious singing chops. She took up piano at the age of eight and at 14 was taking classical singing lessons, but something else was spinning around her head – the soundtrack of her home.  Already the beginnings of Nina’s legendary eclectic range of styles – she can move effortlessly between pop, blues, standards, soul, bluegrass and country – were in place.
But there’s jazz in there too, lots of jazz, in her phrasing, sense of time, her fresh way with a familiar lyric and above all, that elusive ability to swing, although all that came into the melting pot a little later. 
“By the time I was into my twenties I was moving away from that kind of very traditional music, doing more soulful, gospel stuff. But those years gave me an incredible musical education.”
But it was time to move on and Nina became a fixture on Australian breakfast TV, as well as performing in clubs, concerts at festivals on radio and other TV shows. She certainly had a blossoming career at that point, but like many Australians before her she was looking at the scene in Europe and wondering what it would be like to swim in a bigger pond. “And it got to the point where I thought: ‘if I don’t go and find out now, I never will.’ So, ten years ago, I came decamped to London.”
Within a year of arriving she was working at the highly coveted Ronnie Scott’s in Soho (she performed at the opening night of the ‘new’ revamped Ronnie’s in 2006), going on to do 80-some shows. Once again, Nina grew restless with the restrictions of being placed in a single box marked ‘jazz singer’.  “At Ronnie’s, I was throwing in some of my own stuff in there, some originals, and eventually I decided it was time to go out and do my own thing with my own band.”
The album Into The Light was written (with Sam Hawksley as co-writer and producer, as well as top tunesmiths such as Gary Nicholson, Jerry Salley and Jedd Hughes) in sixteen days, with the studio booked on the seventeenth and eighteenth for some of the top Nashville players 
The result is a warm, loose album with an unmistakable (and tricky to capture) live feel that showcased the range of Nina’s songwriting. It’s partly a breakup album, but one that caught her on the upswing, giving the intensely honest songs an emotional heft. Into The Light moves from country-tinged Americana, through sly funk, soul and, yes, jazz. 
Into the Light was made two years ago, and Nina’s music continues to evolve. “I am very proud of the album. It’s a record in the sense that it is a snapshot of where I was then. But as an artist, I think I am only just hitting my stride.”
It’ll be fun to watch where the next set of giant steps takes her. Nina is currently working on her new album for release in 2017.

Max Boggus is following