Kandace Springs (born January 18, 1989) is an American

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

and

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

singer and pianist. She has released four studio albums.

Biography

Kandace Springs was born in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

, United States, in 1989. Her father Scat Springs was a session singer in Nashville. She has two sisters. At the age of ten she started following piano lessons. She grew up listening to jazz and soul singers like

Nina Simone Nina Simone ( ; born Eunice Kathleen Waymon; February 21, 1933 – April 21, 2003) was an American singer, pianist, songwriter, and civil rights activist. Her music spanned styles including classical, folk, gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, and po ...

. She was noted for performing Sam Smith's '' Stay with Me'' on the internet. She moved to New York City to work with Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers. She believes that music can touch people, spread a message, keep the world sane. In 2014, she released her self-titled debut EP for the jazz label

Blue Note Records Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label now owned by Universal Music Group and operated under Capitol Music Group. Established in 1939 by History of the Jews in Germany, German-Jewish emigrants Alfred Lion and Max Margulis, it deriv ...

. It was produced by Pop & Oak. ''Love Got in the Way'' was her first music video. She collaborated with

Ghostface Killah Dennis David Coles (born May 9, 1970), better known by his stage name Ghostface Killah, is an American rapper and a member of the hip hop group Wu-Tang Clan. After the group achieved breakthrough success in the aftermath of ''Enter the Wu-Tang ...

on his 2014 single ''Love Don't Live Here No More''. She performed live on several TV shows: the

Late Show with David Letterman ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production com ...

Jimmy Kimmel Live! ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'', sometimes shortened to ''JKL'', is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, and broadcast on ABC. The nightly hour-long show tapes and is based out of the Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywo ...

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon ''The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by actor and comedian Jimmy Fallon that airs on NBC. The show premiered on February 17, 2014, and is produced by Broadway Video and Universal Television. It i ...

and Later... with Jools Holland.

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

asked her to perform with him on stage. For her 2016 album, ''Soul Eyes'', she kept working with Sturken and Rogers, but she also attracted producer

Larry Klein Larry Klein is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is based in Los Angeles. He began his career as a bassist, playing with jazz artists Willie Bobo, Freddie Hubbard, Carmen McRae, Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson, Way ...

, who praised her as a natural talent. On smooth ballads like ''Place to Hide'' and relaxed mid-tempo songs like ''Talk to Me'', she accompanied herself on the piano. Collaborating artists were trumpeter

Terence Blanchard Terence Oliver Blanchard (born March 13, 1962) is an American jazz trumpeter and composer. He has also written two operas and more than 80 film and television scores. Blanchard has been nominated for two Academy Awards for Original Score for ''B ...

, guitarists Dean Parks and Jesse Harris, and drummer

Vinnie Colaiuta Vincent Peter Colaiuta (born February 5, 1956) is an American drummer known for his technical mastery who has worked as a session musician in many genres. He was inducted into the ''Modern Drummer'' Hall of Fame in 1996 and the ''Classic Drumme ...

. Her 2018 album ''Indigo'' was produced by Karriem Riggins. It combines the vocal jazz tradition with modern R&B influences and a trumpet solo by

Roy Hargrove Roy Anthony Hargrove (October 16, 1969 – November 2, 2018) was an American jazz musician and composer whose principal instruments were the trumpet and flugelhorn. He achieved critical acclaim after winning two Grammy Awards for differing styles ...

. On January 31, 2020, Springs released the lead single, "Pearls", off her third studio album, ''The Women Who Raised Me''. The album was released in March 2020. ''The Women Who Raised Me'' is a covers album featuring renditions of songs made famous by some of history's most iconic vocalists:

Ella Fitzgerald Ella Jane Fitzgerald (April25, 1917June15, 1996) was an American singer, songwriter and composer, sometimes referred to as the "First Lady of Song", "Queen of Jazz", and "Lady Ella". She was noted for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phra ...

Roberta Flack Roberta Cleopatra Flack (February 10, 1937 – February 24, 2025) was an American singer and pianist known for her emotive, genre-blending ballads that spanned R&B, jazz, Folk music, folk, and pop and contributed to the birth of the quiet storm ...

, Astrud Gilberto,

Lauryn Hill Lauryn Noelle Hill (born May 26, 1975) is an American musician. She is celebrated as one of the most influential musical artists of her generation. Hill is credited with breaking barriers for female rappers, contributing to the popular music, m ...

Billie Holiday Billie Holiday (born Eleanora Fagan; April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959) was an American jazz and swing music singer. Nicknamed "Lady Day" by her friend and music partner, Lester Young, Holiday made significant contributions to jazz music and pop ...

Diana Krall Diana Jean Krall (born November 16, 1964) is a Canadian jazz pianist and singer known for her contralto vocals. She has sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, including over six million in the US. On December 11, 2009, ''Billboard (magazi ...

Carmen McRae Carmen Mercedes McRae (April 8, 1920 – November 10, 1994) was an American jazz singer. She is considered one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century and is remembered for her behind-the-beat phrasing and ironic interpretati ...

Bonnie Raitt Bonnie Lynn Raitt (; born November 8, 1949) is an American singer, guitarist, and songwriter. In 1971, Raitt released her Bonnie Raitt (album), self-titled debut album. Following this, she released a series of critically acclaimed Americana (mu ...

, Sade,

, and

Dusty Springfield Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), better known by her stage name Dusty Springfield, was a British singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano voice, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, Pop mus ...

Discography

Albums * ''Soul Eyes'' ( Blue Note, 2016) * ''Indigo'' (Blue Note, 2018) * ''The Women Who Raised Me'' (Blue Note, 2020) * ''My Name Is Sheba'' (Subplay Creative, 2022) * ''Run Your Race'' (SRP Records, 2024) EPs * ''Kandace Springs'' (Blue Note, 2014) Collaborations * 2014 ''Love Don't Live Here No More'' (with

) * 2015 ''Stay Clear'' (with Black Violin) * 2016 ''New York Minute'' (with Lang Lang) * 2017 ''Daydream'' (with Ambrose Akinmusire) * 2018 ''Faded'' (with Kings of Tomorrow)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Springs, Kandace 1989 births Living people American jazz singers Smooth jazz singers Singers from Nashville, Tennessee American ballad musicians American soul singers American women pianists African-American pianists 21st-century African-American women singers 21st-century American women singers