Though her approach has earned her comparisons to Gretchen Parlato and Becca Stevens, the similarities are superficial. Like Parlato, she’s an assured technician with a whole bag of impressive tricks. Like Stevens and, for that matter, Esperanza Spalding, she has an affinity for folk. But…she’s got her own thing, and it’s very much worth listening to.
— Jon Garelick, Arts Fuse
…Schrire becomes part of the fabric of her music. Her voice is a warm and supple instrument that serves as a dispensary of emotional power.
— Dan Bilawsky, All About Jazz
[Schrire] is quite self-assured, trusts her judgment so that each piece stands out…Recordings like “Freedom Flight” make me glad to be alive.
— Richard Kamins, Step Tempest
“Freedom Flight” should have released under a major label’s auspices, as Schrire’s voice is…an instrument transcending laryngeal norms.
— Mark S. Tucker, FAME
If you have been hooked by the new vocalists like Gretchen Parlato and Becca Stevens, check out Nicky Schrire – she’s on her way.
— Peter Bacon, The Jazz Breakfast
“Freedom Flight” is vocalist Nicky Schrire’s debut album, but it sounds like the work of a seasoned veteran… Clever and understated… It is an exceptional debut.
— Steven Lewis, Hardbop Jazz Journal
With a clear, clean, beautifully vibrato-less soprano and ample control of her pitch, Schrire brings together the essence of some of my favorites among modern creative vocalists–Kendra Shank’s global approach to song, Kate McGarry’s vocalese, and Norma Winstone’s inventive spirit, all with a vocal quality in the realm of Sara Gazarek.
— Andrea Canter, Jazz Police
It’s not an easy voice to pigeon-hole which speaks volumes for her originality…Schrire seemingly effortlessly, and frequently wordlessly, gets to the heart of each number stripping it bare and re-shaping it into something new.
— Lance Liddle, BeBop Spoken Here