Ready For Her Close Up
Rising star vocalist Noa Chait is one of Club Room’s most acclaimed new acts. She blends jazz, blues and soul into her own unique sound. Get to know her before she takes the stage at Club Room on Friday December 15th!
What age were you when you started singing?
I’ve been singing all my life! My father is an amateur musician, and recognized that I had a musical inclination when as a three year old I would imitate the Queen of the Night Aria from my cassettes. However, I was also dancing in a junior dance company, so I only really refocused on singing when I left the world of dance. I began taking guitar lessons when I was 12, which was my segue back into singing and studying music on a more professional level.
What kind of music did you listen to growing up?
My father always had Miles Davis, Bill Evans, Frank Sinatra and Hermeto Pascoal on in the car on rotation, but also the Beatles, Abba and great Israeli composers like Yoni Rechter and Miki Gavrielov. I was also listening to Billie Holliday, Louis Armstrong, Pink Floyd, Stevie Wonder, Carole King and Radiohead, so really a wide variety of music.
Who were some of your early vocal inspirations?
My earliest vocal inspiration is Sarah Vaughn, I can still remember the incredible feeling of hearing her recordings for the first time and knowing that I needed to find a way to emulate that. Other early vocal inspirations include luminaries such as Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, Nancy Wilson, Anita O’ Day, Peggy Lee and Carmen McRae.
When did you know you wanted to make a life in music?
After my mandatory military service. I had been away from music and realized that I was incredibly unhappy and that music is the only way for me.
You hail from Tel Aviv, Israel, which seems to have a plethora of musical talent. Why do you think that city produces such a myriad of musical magic?
Tel Aviv is such a special city, it’s small, incredibly walkable, and full of culture and stylistically varied young artists from all walks of life. There’s a huge love for music and art, you can walk through any random courtyard or between the streets and there will be something going on. The city also has a real sense of community, which turns it into a melting pot of all the right ingredients to foster a large and musically creative scene.
Why New York City?
New York City hands down has the best musicians on the scene, which is both inspiring and daunting. It forces you to look at yourself and truly work on your craft. It also allowed me the opportunity to study and play with the best, at the best venues. Pressure makes diamonds, there’s a reason they say that if you make it here you can make it anywhere.
Tell us your three favorite places to go in NYC?
*The West Village – You can find me at jazz clubs like Mezzrow or Smalls many a night, listening to other great musicians or just grabbing a drink.
*The Alamo Drafthouse – I’m a huge lover of film, and the Alamo is one of my favorite theaters.
*Kalustyan’s – Anyone from the Middle East can attest that Kalustyan’s is the best specialty food market in the city. You can really get lost there.
What are you listening to these days?
These days it’s been: Eyes for You – Ethel Ennis, Carmen McRae Sings Lover Man and Other Billie Holliday Classics, This is the Moment! – Kenny Dorham Sings and Plays and Oracular Spectacular by MGMT.
What can people expect when they come to the Club Room to hear you sing?
Being inspired by the great songstresses of jazz, for me it has always been about story telling. You can expect a swinging show with selections from the traditions of blues, jazz, and the Great American Songbook interpreted through my eyes as a young female musician living and singing in 2023.
What’s in store for 2024?
You’ll be able to find me band-leading and singing in venues around the city, studying and listening to this great music, and planning for an upcoming recording date this spring! Very excited, there’s a lot of good to come.
