Holly Cole: Dark Moon Focus on Toronto and NYC Shows

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March 27 – Winter Garden Theatre, Toronto | June 26 – Joe’s Pub, New York City, Photo Credit: Rodney Bowes

Internationally acclaimed Canadian vocalist Holly Cole continues to captivate audiences worldwide with her latest album Dark Moon, bringing its cinematic sound and intimate storytelling to two major upcoming performances: March 27 at the Winter Garden Theatre in Toronto and June 26 at Joe’s Pub in New York City.

These performances arrive as Dark Moon continues to expand its global reach across Japan, Germany and the United States, where listeners have embraced the album’s rich atmosphere, imaginative interpretations and masterful ensemble playing. A full list of Cole’s tour dates can be found online.

Released to widespread acclaim, Dark Moon showcases Cole’s singular ability to reshape material from the New American Songbook through smoky phrasing, inventive arrangements and a distinctive sense of drama. The expanded edition deepens that vision with the vibrant “Comin’ Home Baby,” alongside richly textured performances from longtime collaborators Aaron Davis, George Koller, Davide Direnzo, John Johnson and Kevin Breit, with additional musicians contributing to the album’s layered, ensemble-driven sound.

Across continents, the record continues to connect with listeners drawn to Cole’s interpretive depth and emotional clarity. In Japan, where she has maintained a devoted following for decades, Dark Moon extends a legacy of chart success. In Germany and throughout the United States, the album’s sweeping arrangements and intimate storytelling have resonated with audiences, reaffirming Cole’s place among Canada’s most celebrated international vocalists.

The next chapter of the album’s journey arrives with the track “Where Flamingos Fly,” which captures the dreamlike spirit that runs throughout Dark Moon.

“Rarely does a song come along with such idiosyncratic charm and imagination,” says Cole. “I was drawn to it because of the beautiful idea at its heart: a peaceful, serene place that only flamingos can reach. It captures a sense of romance and dreamlike wonder, an elusive escape that exists just beyond the ordinary world.”

The song extends the world of Dark Moon, offering listeners a transportive moment suspended between jazz tradition and modern storytelling.

With performances at Toronto’s storied Winter Garden Theatre and New York’s iconic Joe’s Pub, Holly Cole brings the global journey of Dark Moon home to two cities that have long embraced her artistry. The album’s continued international success, along with the arrival of “Where Flamingos Fly,” marks a creative period defined by imagination, elegance and enduring connection with audiences around the world.

About Holly Cole

Holly Cole is an internationally renowned Canadian jazz vocalist whose career spans more than three decades. She first emerged in 1989 with the four-song EP Christmas Blues on Alert Music, followed by her debut album Girl Talk in 1990.

In 1992, Cole signed with Blue Note’s Manhattan imprint and released Blame It on My Youth, which achieved Platinum sales in Canada and sold more than 200,000 copies internationally. The album’s hit single “Calling You” reached No. 1 in Japan, helping establish her international audience.

Her subsequent release featuring the hit rendition of Johnny Nash’s “I Can See Clearly Now” further cemented her global success, followed by the critically acclaimed Temptation, an album devoted entirely to the songs of Tom Waits, one of Cole’s most influential songwriters.

With 13 studio albums to her name, Cole has achieved multi-platinum sales and received numerous honors, including two Juno Awards (from eight nominations), two Gemini Awards, two Japanese Grand Prix Gold Disc Awards and the prestigious Ella Fitzgerald Award from the Montreal International Jazz Festival. In 2014, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from Queen’s University.

In 2019, Cole reunited the original Holly Cole Trio with bassist David Piltch and pianist Aaron Davis to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal. Those performances at Montreal’s Lion d’Or were recorded and later released as the 2021 album Montreal.

In 2022, Cole released Baby It’s Cold Outside and I Have the Christmas Blues, a remastered compilation of her earlier holiday recordings.

Known for her smoky voice and adventurous arrangements, Holly Cole continues to reinterpret jazz, pop and country standards with a style entirely her own. Her latest album, Dark Moon, was released January 24, 2025 via Rumpus Room / Universal Music Canada.

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