Andra Day at the Penthouse at the Standard Hotel, East Village

Singer/songwriter Andra Day began perfecting her powerful voice in the vocal track at the prestigious San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts. Although trained in classical music, she worked in some rhythm & blues, rock, jazz, doo-wop, and blues. Stevie Wonder’s wife stumbled across one of her performances and shared it with Wonder, who referred her to a producer. Day’s jazzy, soulful interpretations of Muse's "Uprising" and Eminem's "Lose Yourself" were so successful on YouTube that Ellen DeGeneres offered to help Day gain recognition. Day's debut album will be released later this year.

Andra Day had the attention of the audience even before she sang a note at the Penthouse at the Standard Hotel tonight. Her exaggerated mascara, bright lipstick, black sheer and velvet dress with silver chain accessories would catch double-takes anywhere. Once she began singing, however, nothing else mattered. The thin woman with a big sultry voice invoked Amy Winehouse, Rhiannon and Lauryn Hill, threw in some Nina Simone/Billie Holiday-styled jazz and even some reggae and hip hop inflections, and the results were riveting. The soft musical backup and the finely-crafted melodic pop songs, mostly about the complexity of love, perfectly fit her rich, classy voice. Given the right break, Andra Day will become a superstar vocalist.

Visit Andra Day at www.andraday.com.