Mercedes Nicole – Too High A Price To Pay
Bonaberi to Paris/Self-Released
13 tracks/62 minutes
Mercedes Nicole’s 2022 album Constellation was a hit and this 2025 follow on from this jazzy and soulful blues singer from the Pacific Northwest is another winner. She’s been writing and performing blues for over a decade now and has her sights set on signing with a big label and recording with many a blues great. She’s a talented vocalist whose blues career followed her work in Gospel.
Joining vocalist Nicole are Jake Sele on keys, Scotty Harris on bass, Andrew Cloutier on drums, Rod Cook on guitar, Alexey Nikolaev on tenor sax, Stacy Jones on harp, and on backing vocals are Tommy Warren, Stacy Jones, Ben Lange and Patrice O’Neil in addition to Mercedes.
She begins her album with he classic “I’ll Play The Blues For You.” Fiery guitar and restrained vocals are the cornerstone of this performance. The original “Blue Fire/aka Searching for Robert Glasper” continues the well-paced and metered vocals with guitar, harp and piano setting Nicole up nicely. “Feels Like Rain” is another storied cut that Mercedes takes on, a slow and soulful rendition. Breathy vocals and a stinging guitar are the highlights here.
Johnnie Taylor’s “Last Two Dollars” follows, a restrained cover with Nicole again giving us her signature style of vocals. Organ, guitar, harp and piano fill in nicely and we get a big sax solo to enjoy. The guitar vibrantly introduces “Life’s A Struggle,” another original. Nicole’s bouncy and breathy delivery and the guitar and piano are all nicely done. Next is “It Took A Long Time Blues,” a Lowell Fulsom classic that Mercedes delivers with feeling. Piano and sax shine in support and we also get a good guitar solo later to savor.
Her ballad “Breathe Again” follows. It’s a pretty song with soul and feeling. Mellow sax and piano help set the tone here. The Wolf’s “Smokestack Lightning” features the traditional guitar and harp licks with Mercedes Nicole howling out the lead vocals. Then it’s her song “Too High A Price To Pay,” which features some very jazzy piano and vocals along with thoughtful guitar. Elmore James’ “The Sky Is Crying” is given a downtempo and slow and soulful cover with guitar backed by organ providing a sweet intro. Mercedes gives us a lament-filled and downtrodden performance that tugs at the listener’s heart.
Nicole finishes up with three original cuts. The jazzy and slow “Essence of a Woman” has smooth jazz overtones as the sax blows sweetly in support. “Beauty for Ashes” opens with strident and soulful guitar licks as Nicole continues her breathy and solemn approach to her vocals and then shifts gears a bit to a more structured delivery with her band in support. More slick sax and guitar work to enjoy again in this one and the organ supplies some cool fills. The final track is “Ease My Soul” where we get taken to church a bit as the organ and guitar gives us some nice licks as Nicole give praise. Thoughtful and cool stuff.
I liked the album a lot. The performances are all tight and well –crafted. The only way it could have been better would be to take one or two pf the cuts and just turn them into something that’s belted out with real power and substance. The album was very jazzy and down tempo-ed and I found myself looking for the band and Mercedes to break out into a big, vibrant number once or twice. That being said, Nicole and the band do what they do with charm and talent and give the listener a baker’s dozen cuts to enjoy from start to finish. If you are looking for a thoughtful and well crafted jazz, blues and soul filled album with talented folks, then look no further.
