Canadian jazz chanteuse Holly Cole proves she’s "Larger than Life"

Bravo! welcomes Canadian jazz singer Holly Cole, who chats with host Lance Chilton and performs songs from her new self-titled album along with fan favourites from her previous six albums in Holly Cole: Live at the Rehearsal Hall, premiering June 5 at 10pm ET / 7pm PT.

Renowned for some of the finest and most engaging vocal work in the world of jazz and contemporary pop, Cole delighted the intimate Live at the Rehearsal Hall audience with performances of This House is Haunted and Charade from her latest album. Backed by a six-piece ensemble including a brass section, pianist, bassist and percussionist, the jazz vixen revisited favourites including Too Darn Hot and On the Sunny Side of the Street. At the encouragement of her band, the audience and Chilton, Cole showed off her newly learned drumming skills with an impromptu funk solo.

Cole also performed Larger than Life from her most recent album: the first song she has ever written and recorded. “When you’re surrounded by Irving Berlin, George and Ira Gershwin, and Cole Porter and stuff, your songs have to be really great to stand up and this is the first song I was proud enough to put in with those writers,” Cole says of her foray into songwriting.

There is intelligence and sophistication to Holly Cole’s singing that sets her apart. She imbues well-worn standards and eclectic songs with an uncanny combination of sensuality, innocence, originality and sheer musicality. Cole takes tunes everybody thinks they know and discovers new undercurrents in the venerable anthems of contemporary composers, wrapping her honesty, compassion and sardonic wit around their creations. The results are sexy, provocative and spellbinding.