Nova Scotia Super Soul Review

A grab bag of some of the best voices the city has to offer.

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Samson Learn, Samson Photography

If ever there was a reason to make up a brand-new idiom, it's for the Nova Scotia Super Soul Review. Forget the sum of its parts: each individual part of the Review is jammed packed with talent. Taken as a whole, you might have to bring the smelling salts for swooning.

Organized by Erin Costelo (vocal stunner and music scholar, her 2012 album We Can Get Over won hearts for life), the Review features Costelo, Reeny Smith (African Nova Scotian Music Award Rising Star award winner of 2012, Galaxie Rising Star award winner at last year's Jazz Festival), Jessie Brown (soul-rock vocalist and driving force behind The Retrospect), Samm Splash (last year's The Breakup EP fueled your pre-drinking; 2014's African Nova Scotian Music Awards Emerging Artist winner; Splash's crystal clear pipes back up Asia & NuGruv and Costelo), Giverny "Roxy" Mercier (UK-born soul aficionado; lead vocals with Roxy and the Underground Sound) and Kirsten Olivia (newly released single "Stay Away" off her upcoming T.H.A.N. The Here and Now was your Canada Day jam). Sorry about all those parentheses, but the accolades are of the super-sized variety.

Performing round-robin style, the Review will give you a grab bag of these talented locals as each singer takes centre stage to show off. "It's a compilation of all of our songs," says Olivia, whose new album will drop this Friday. "I'm doing two songs, an original and one cover, but I'm not going to say which one.

"I'm so excited," says Olivia. "It'll be interesting to see how it looks and works, no one really does this so it's got to be smooth, there's going to be constant change, you won't get bored."

All members have worked together before in various capacities–Olivia also performs with Asia & NuGruv and Costelo–and Olivia welcomes the opportunity to stretch her abilities. "The thing I love about singing with Erin is that her backups are so intricate. You feel like you're adding a lot, she's very specific, and I love that." -

Bettye LaVette w/Nova Scotia Super Soul Review
Wednesday, July 9 at 8pm
Festival Tent