Young Nikki has an old soul (11 photos)

If you closed your eyes last night at the Kiwanis Community Theatre Centre, and just listened to the soulful jazz vocals emanating through the room, you'd never in a million years guess that that voice belonged to a 15-year-old girl.

But it did.

And it was amazing.

Nikki Yanofsky stunned a near-packed house as she guided us through two sets of jazz standards, original compositions and jazzified favourites during her Algoma Fall Festival performance.

Yanofsky's child-like speaking voice, black nail polish and funky Converse Chuck Taylor high-tops contrasted sharply with her crooning style that, which reflected a soul well beyond her tender years.

The set list included Sunny Side of the Street, Lullaby of Birdland, Mr. Paganini, God Bless the Child, Stompin' at the Savoy, and fellow Canadian songstress Diana Krall's Pick Yourself Up.

Yanofsky also included Jimi Hendrix' The Wind Cries Mary and Joni Mitchell's Circle Game, along with three of her own compositions, two of which she co-wrote with Ron Sexsmith and Jesse Harris.

It was beautiful performance that would likely make Yanofsky's idol, Ella Fitzgerald, smile with pride.

And maybe slightly jealous, because Nikki can scat like nobody's business!

Still to come on the Algoma Fall Festival entertainment roster are the Canadian Guitar Quartet Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m., Dawn Tyler Watson on October 23, and Leahy on October 29.

For more information about the Algoma Fall Festival, visit the festival's official website.