Jazz singer Stella Cole puts Kalispell stop on global tour

Jazz singer Stella Cole will perform at the Wachholz College Center Feb. 4. 

With a voice that bridges generations, the 26-year-old initially gained her audience — and notice from the music industry — on social media, cultivating more than 1.7 million followers through her fresh interpretations of timeless songs by iconic artists, including Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra and Nat “King” Cole.  

On her third album, “It’s Magic,” Cole “sings the Great American Songbook for a new generation,” according to Decca Records, which released the LP Aug. 22 is an ode to music greats, featuring classic jazz standards, showtunes and film themes, with the first track being a tender reinterpretation of “Till There Was You,” popularized by the 1957 Broadway musical “The Music Man” and later, The Beatles. 

“It’s amazing to think that this music can be a balm for people's stress and anxiety. Don’t forget, these songs helped people get through the Great Depression and World War II,” Cole said. “That’s the most gratifying thing of all, experiencing how this music can help people. 

Cole’s commanding stage presence and captivating voice has ushered her from Springfield, Illinois, to New York’s biggest jazz venues, including Dizzy’s Club — Jazz at Lincoln Center, Birdland Jazz Club and Café Carlyle. She has also toured the globe with Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox and collaborated on a cover of “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus.  

For the February concert, Cole will be accompanied by a string quartet featuring Flathead Valley musicians Idara Aguinaga on second violin, Eileen Beckett on the viola and Griffin Browne on cello, led by master violinist Wai Mizutani. 

Tickets are $38.50, which includes fees and may be purchased at wccmt.org, at the Wachholz ticket office, 795 Grandview Dr., Kalispell, or by calling 756-1400. 

    Tickets are on sale to see singer and social media star Stella Cole at the Wachholz College Center Feb. 4. (Photo by Luke Rogers)