Costa gives voice to soul, funk
There aren’t many artists who, in the course of making an album, will run across an arrangement that their father wrote for Frank Sinatra. But few have had careers like Nikka Costa, who grew up around pop royalty but became a leading voice in the revival of classic soul.
The arrangement — “Come Rain or Come Shine,” by her father, Don Costa — appears alongside soul classics and originals on her most recent album, “Nikka and Strings: Underneath and In Between.” Bucking everything about modern pop recording, she laid down all the vocals in a single day with the band playing live behind her.
“I knew it was going to be a long day, but it was something I didn’t completely think through beforehand,” she said this week. “Otherwise, I would have run away screaming. I think it was more intense for the string players, since they weren’t used to playing 15 hours at a time. But it was really down to logistics, since I could only afford to pay everybody for one day in the studio. It was a marathon, but we were all down for the cause and into making something beautiful.”
Now 46, Costa began performing at age 5, became a child star after recording a duet with Don Ho, and at 9 was singing with Sinatra at the White House.
“I didn’t realize what I was doing when I was a kid, the gravity of who I was singing with. But when you get opportunities like that, you just have to go for it. I did know that Frank was a heavy dude and a serious musician. I saw how the adults acted around him. So I could feel that, even if I didn’t understand it. And it probably gave me some cojones later on.”
However, don’t expect a subdued stringdriven show when she hits City Winery on Wednesday. On her first local shows after a sixyear break (during which she raised her second child), she’s returning to her trademark fullthrottle funk. You can probably expect a cover of the Prince ballad “Nothing Compares 2 U” since the two were longtime friends and occasional collaborators.
“He was my mentor for 15 years, very generous with information and advice. He loved musicians and wanted to help them get better. He was very generous that way. I learned a lot from his work ethic, because nobody ever worked harder.”
One artist she never met is her main inspiration, Aretha Franklin.
“Our worlds never crossed paths. But I think that’s something nice that I hold, that I didn’t meet her and I didn’t work with her. That’s kind of awesome because I get to be a total fan and a total admirer. Nothing is shaded by knowing the person, or how the meeting goes, or what you wish you would have said. She just lives in this sunlit bubble of mine. No one is better to me than her, so I’m kind of glad I didn’t meet her — even though it could have been amazing.” Nikka Costa, with Planet Radio, at City Winery, Wednesday. Tickets $20$30; citywinery.com/boston.