Michelle Nicolle possesses a voice that is both light and full: Scatting, she drifts up and down like a leaf caught in the breeze. When she takes on lyrics, she revels in each syllable, drawing out the poetry that exists in even the simplest lines. Born in 1969, the Aussie singer and bandleader played cornet and piano, then studied violin in college before discovering the freedom of jazz. Her recordings live in the genre's frenetic energy as she remakes standards by artists like Duke Ellington and even Lou Reed with a quiet spontaneity.