Verna Francis and Ciyo Brown treated the vast majority of their audience to a trip down memory lane with a wonderful selection of Motown hits from the sixties and seventies.

My wife and I had seen Ciyo Brown perform several times mostly as a guitar player and occasionally as a vocalist but we had never seen Verna Francis. The draw of the evening, which the Hampstead Jazz Club had promoted, was the promise of a selection of Motown songs. It must have been very challenging selecting songs for a show lasting just ninety minutes; there are enough Motown hits to choose from to fill ninety hours.

The show started with Mary Wells ‘My Guy’ followed by The Supremes ‘Stop In The Name Of Love’ and Smokey Robinson and The Miracles ‘I Second That Emotion’. These songs set the tone for the evening with the rich soulful vocals of Verna Francis, the guitar of Ciyo Brown, a key board and a rhythm section featuring guitar and bass.

The evening continued and the artist’s songs that were covered were Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Gladys Knight and The Pips, The Commodores, The Jackson Five, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, The Four Tops and The Temptations together with some more songs of Smokey Robinson and The Supremes.

The closing song of the night was ‘ Superstition ‘ and the show ended with rapturous applause and a promise that next year there will be a follow up show featuring Motown songs from the 80’s onwards.

My favourite song of the night was a superb rendition of Gladys Knight’s ‘Neither One Of Us’ with Verna Francis showing the full emotion of the song. Verna was impressive showing not only her wonderful vocal skills but also her encyclopaedic knowledge of the Motown catalogue.

I would recommend that any fan of Motown music should buy tickets for the next show.

 

The Vimala Rowe Quartet gave an outstanding performance to the delight of their 606 Club audience.
My wife and I had seen Vimala perform before, playing Billie Holiday in Cafe Society Swing and singing the Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald song books. Although neither of us consider jazz to be our favourite musical genre, Vimala’s excellent vocal performances at those two shows was reason enough to see her perform at the Jazz Festival.
The quartet consisted of Vimala (vocals), Giazonne Reyes (piano), Nick Pink (bass) and Marco Quarantotto (drums). Vimala has a beautiful voice and is an excellent interpreter of lyrics, she is charismatic and has a delightful stage persona.
The performance consisted of two sets featuring several of Vimala’s own songs and some jazz classics (several of which were written by Rodgers and Hart).
Vimala’s songs are very personal covering several aspects of her life. ‘Inter -Racial Adoption Blues’ was about how she and her brother were adopted by their white parents in Leicester. There were songs inspired by her fifteen years living in the Far East and her life in Hampstead walking on the heath.
The jazz standards included Billie Holiday’s ‘Yesterdays’, Nancy Wilson and Cannonball Adderley’s ‘I Will Never Marry’ and Rodgers and Hart’s ‘My Sweet Valentine’. The highlight of the show for me was ‘Malaika’, a Swahili lullaby which Vimala sang acapella, this song demonstrated the quality of her voice. Malaika means angel. This preceded her own song called ‘Angels’.
The band was excellent. If Vimala had not told us I would not have guessed that the pianist was her usual bass player.
The performance was very well received and there was a deserved encore for which the quartet was joined by the 606’s own Steve Rubie on flute.
I would recommend Vimala to any music lover especially those who would like an introduction to jazz.

Corinne Bailey Rae and her band gave a superb performance to the delight of a packed Queen Elizabeth Hall audience.

I first heard Corinne Bailey Rae in 2006 and bought her self-named debut album. I have followed her career ever since. My wife and I have seen her perform several times: the most recent being her excellent set in Hyde Park supporting Stevie Wonder.

The show started with ‘Been to the Moon’ a song from her last album ‘The Heart Speaks In Whispers’ which was followed by ‘Closer’ from ‘The Sea’. Corinne was in fine form and seems to have grown as a performer over the past thirteen years.

The next song was a sumptuous version of Hoagy Carmichael’s ‘Stardust’. Next came ‘Till It Happens To You’ form her debut album, by now Corinne and her excellent band had the audience totally enthralled. Bob Marley’s ‘Is this Love’ followed which had an interestingly different arrangement to the original. It was so different that it took a few seconds to recognise but it worked very well.

The show continued with ‘Paris Nights/New York Mornings’, ‘Diving For Hearts’, Trouble Sleeping’ and ‘Hey I Won’t Break Your Heart’.

The show closed with two beautiful songs from Corinne’s debut album ‘Put Your Records On’ and ‘Like A Star’. The audience rose to their feet to give the performer a resounding ovation.

Inevitably, there was an encore. Corinne told us that she had started to write the song and Valerie Simpson (of Ashford and Simpson) had finished it for her. It was called ‘Do You Ever Think Of Me’ and was a beautiful song to end the evening with.

If you are not familiar with Corinne’s music I would recommend it and I look forward to hearing her fourth studio album which will hopefully be released in 2020.

 

 

Beverley Skeete assisted by Michelle John and Kevin Leo delighted the Pizza Express audience with an outstanding performance.

After two shows where we had watched performers for the first time, my wife and I were back on familiar ground. We had been to watch Beverley Skeete, Michelle John and Kevin Leo on many occasions (although only once together). Beverley and Michelle are two of the best female vocalists in the UK. They both learned their craft as backing singers and between them have been on stage with some of the biggest names in the music business. Kevin Leo has a strong soulful voice and has built a strong reputation in the UK.

The show opened with Beverley singing ‘In The Ghetto’ a hit for Elvis Presley in 1969, which as Beverley told us is still relevant today. This song set the standard for the night which continued with a series of outstanding vocal performances.

Most of the songs were covers of well-known songs but Michelle sang two of her own songs ‘If You Knew Me’ and ‘Priceless’ and Beverley sang her own ‘Looking In The Mirror’. These songs were excellent and sat comfortably alongside some of the classics.

Highlights of the night for me were Beverley singing ‘I Put A Spell On You’ and Michelle’s Aretha Franklin medley.

The singers were supported by an excellent band featuring Jason Thompson (Keyboards), Niall Tomkins (guitar), Clint Williams (Bass) and John Jackson (Bass). They were all given opportunities to sure their prowess with solos during the evening.

Many of the audience were on their feet dancing and gave the performers a warm ovation at the end of the night.

All three singers are well worth going to see perform.

Jaki Graham gave an outstanding performance and at the end received a thoroughly deserved standing ovation from her sell-out Pizza Express audience.

Although I remember Jaki Graham from the 1980’s, I would not have called myself a fan. I had not seen Jaki perform before, so my wife and I ventured to Holborn based on her reputation and those 80’s hits.

The opening song was Marks and Simons 1931 jazz standard ‘All of Me’, I feared that the show would be more of a jazz performance than a soul show, but soon these fears were allayed. After a witty introduction,  during which we were told that Jaki wanted her show to bring back old memories and create new memories, she sang her 80’s hit ‘Round and Round’ followed by the Al Green classic ‘Let’s Stay Together’. This set up an evening of witty introductions and stories, soul classics and the occasional hit single.

Jaki was accompanied by her musical director on piano and had no other musicians or singers. She has a very powerful voice which is very soulful. She told many stories including how she met Lamont Dozier, Freda Payne and Percy Sledge whilst she was touring with Sir Cliff Richard on his ‘Duets Tour’.

The soul classics included ‘When A Man Loves A Woman’, ‘For Once In My Life’, ‘I Say A Little Prayer’, ‘How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) and ‘Band Of Gold’. All delivered to such a high standard that they were as good as the originals.

The show ended fittingly with ‘Could It Be I’m Falling In Love ‘ (her biggest UK hit) followed by an encore of ‘Ain’t Nobody’ (her only US number 1 which remained at the top of the charts for five weeks).

Jaki succeeded in bringing back memories and created a new memory of a fantastic performance.  She is warm and charismatic and if she ever had to stop singing she could become a stand-up comedienne.

I would recommend her to any soul music lover. We will certainly go to see her perform again when the opportunity arises.

 

 

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Rachel Higgins was impressive on her debut appearance at Pizza Express Holborn to the delight of her audience.

Before we booked for this event, my wife and I had not heard of Rachel Huggins. We read her biography on the website and based on her gospel singing background decided to see her without listening to any of her music beforehand.

Rachel sang two sets which, apart from covers of Chaka Khan’s ‘Sweet Thing’ (the Mary J Blige arrangement) and George Gershwin’s ‘Summertime’, were all her own compositions.  This demonstrated her belief in her own music and her courage. Neither was misplaced. Her songs were soulful and had strong melodies. Many were sung whilst she played piano.

The titles of the songs that I enjoyed most were ‘Take Control’ and Three Wishes’. Rachel’s songs are about love and life’s up and downs. She told us that she has given up music a few times, we are pleased that she did not because she is a talented singer and songwriter.

Rachel was supported by an excellent band consisting of guitar, bass and drums together with an outstanding backing vocalist whose voice complemented Rachel’s superbly on in some numbers. The songs had a feel of being duets such was the blend of the vocals.

The show closed with a song that Rachel had intended to be sung with a Gospel Choir. She got the audience to sing the chorus and to then continue singing the chorus overlaying the verses that she and her backing vocalist sang. This worked surprisingly well.

During the interval and after the show Rachel spent time to individually thank every member of her audience and to talk with them. She is a warm, humble person and has a likeable personality.

We will definitely go to see Rachel perform again given the opportunity. I would recommend any lover of soulful music in an intimate setting to go see her when she next performs.

 

 

 

 

This was a terrific evening’s entertainment. It was one of my top five gigs of the year and considering that my wife and I have already attended over 75 gigs, that puts our enjoyment into perspective.

We had seen Nicole perform once before, at the 2017 London Jazz Festival and she impressed us enough to make the journey to Maidstone and it proved to be a worthwhile journey.

This show was thoughtfully planned, it was not Aretha’s greatest hits, though some were featured, and it was definitely not an Aretha karaoke show. Nicole sang songs recorded by Aretha, giving them her own arrangements and interpretatios.

The show opened with  ‘Think’ and ‘Freeway of Love’. Nicole had grown up listening to her parents Aretha LP’s and told us how Aretha’s voice had influenced her whilst she was learning to sing.

The lesser known Aretha songs featured included ‘You Got A Friend / Precious Lord’ (a mash-up originally recorded before the word had been thought of), David Gates’ ‘Make It With You’, The Beatles ‘Eleanor Rigby’ and The Rolling Stones ‘Jumpin’ Jack Flash’. My favourite was a couscous version of a Hoagy Carmichael song which Aretha covered in the 60’s.

There were great versions of ‘I Say A Little Prayer’ ‘Natural Woman (Nicole’s encore) and ‘Respect ‘ and my favourite of the evening ‘Amazing Grace’.

Nicole was supported by an excellent youthful band made up of Nick Fitch (Guitars), Joe Hill (Keyboards), Jack Tustin (Bass), Luke Tomlinson (Drums), Tom Smith (Saxophone and Flute) and Freddie Gavita (Trumpet).

Nicole’s voice is superb, it has a beautiful tone and she has great control this together with her stage presence makes her a top class entertainer.

The Maidstone audience was superb and appreciative of the excellent show. Next time Nicole is in the UK, I will definitely Want to see her.

Beverley Skeete delivered another outstanding vocal performance to the delight of her audience at the Pheasantry.
My wife and I have had the pleasure of seeing Beverley perform live on a number of occasions and the reason we keep returning is that she is one of the UK’s best vocalists and an excellent interpreter of other song-writers songs.
Beverley was joined on stage by four excellent musicians: Jason Thompson – Keyboards, Clint Williams – Bass, John Jackson – Drums and Wayne – Guitar (if anyone knows his surname please let me know). Beverley shared vocals with two singers Kevin Leo (who we have seen in several occasions) and Katherine Ellis (who we saw for the first time).
Kevin is a very versatile vocalist and sang a variety of genres of songs, my favourite was his interpretation of Ray Charles’ ‘Georgia on my Mind’. Katherine’s voice has an abundance of power and she comes across as having a very sassy approach. She often focussed her gaze on individual members of the audience. These elements gave some songs an unusual edge including Carole King’s ‘ Natural Woman’ and Incognito’s ‘Always There’.
The star of the show was Beverley. She sang outstanding versions of Etta James ‘ I Want To Make Love To You’ (the show’s opening song)and Screamin’ James Hawkins’ ‘I Put A Spell In You’ (The first song of the second set). The highlight for me was her interpretation of Elvis Presley’s ‘In The Ghetto’ which she said was very relevant to our current time in London.
The vocalists combined towards the end for an outstanding version of The Whispers’ ‘When The Beat Goes On’ which had a majority of the audience on their feet.
Once again Beverley gave a very impressive performance, catch her next show if you can.

This Soul Sunday performance delighted its large Pizza Express audience and sent them home with smiles on their faces.

My wife and I had been to the very first Soul Sunday but had missed the following two. The line-up featured regulars Daniel Thomas and the JT Band (Leader Jason Thompson – Keyboards, Kenny Barry – Guitar, Chris Brown – Bass and Joss McKenzie -Drums) together with guest vocalists Sharlene Hector and Phebe Edwards.

The show started with all three vocalists singing the ‘Soul Sunday’ theme tune before Phebe sang a magnificent version of Whitney Houston’s “How Will I Know ‘ which set the standards for the rest of the afternoon. Daniel followed this with his ‘remix’ version of the Gershwin classic ‘Summertime’ before Sharlene sang ‘Dream on Dreamer’, the Brand New Heavies song. Already the energy in on the stage and in the audience was high. Phebe then slowed the tempo with a stunning version of Etta James,’ ‘At Last’ (one of the highlights of the show). Daniel then sang his funky remix of the Bee Gees ‘Staying Alive’ before Sharlene covered a Chaka Khan song. The first half closed with Stevie Wonder’s ‘Don’t You Worry Bout A Thing’.

The second set was equally as good. Sharlene sang two of her self-penned songs; Phebe sang one of her own. This was a risk but paid off because these songs did not seem to be out of place when sung alongside more familiar classics. The highlight of the set was, for me, Daniel’s ‘Amazing Grace’. The show closed to rapturous applause following a Diana Ross medley.

We were well aware of the vocal ability of Sharlene, who we had seen many times, both as a solo artist and a backing vocalist, the last time being at a Promenade Concert. We had seen Daniel several times at similar events and as a Gospel Choir member, so we knew what he was capable of, especially his love of improvisation. We knew little of Phebe but she was superb, her opener set the standard which her fellow vocalists responded to and made this show even better than the first Soul Sunday.
Soul Sunday continues every last Sunday of the month, for Soul music lovers it is a must see.

 

Dan Torres gave a crowd pleasing performance at the 606 Club.

My wife and I have seen Dan more times at the 606 than any other performer, but only because he has been working there for the last two years. It was only recently that he told us that he was a singer-songwriter, so it was a mixture of his likeable personality and curiosity that made us want to see him perform. Not knowing what to expect, we were delighted that his performance was far better than we had dared to imagine.

When Dan took to the stage, he described his music as a mixture of Rock and Soul, which was an accurate description, although there were two blues numbers added as well.

Dan mixed a number of his own songs with his interpretation of classics made famous by The Beatles, Eric Clapton, Marvin Gaye, Prince, Bill Withers and Stevie Wonder amongst others.

Dan’s own songs were a mix of Rock songs written for his band Dan and The Underdogs and more soulful songs which were released by him as a solo singer-songwriter. His songs were a delight to listen to and complimented his cover versions well.

For much of the show he was joined in stage by an excellent band, Richie Aikman and Will Looms on guitars, Sonny Winslow bass and Christiaan Oyens drums. Dan performed the last three songs of the first set solo, one of his own compositions and stripped back versions of ‘I Heard It Through The Grapevine’ and ‘Billie Jean’ which showcased his soulful voice. The second half opened with two songs performed with just Dan and his cousin (who also works at the 606), one original and a cover of ‘Something’ before the Band returned.

This was a very competent performance; highlights for me were his three solo numbers to close the first set and a song inspired by his grandmother which he sang with the band.

Dan’s next gig at the 606 is on December 16th and  I would recommend it to any music lover. He deserves to be heard by more people.