(Boisdale Canary Wharf, June 21st 2011, Review by Kai Hoffman)
The designers of the new Canary Wharf-based Boisdale have managed to very successfully transfer the comfortable old- school decadence of the original Boisdale (a character-filled 17th century building) to
this brand-new location- complete with candelabra and the world's largest whisky collection.
With a stage easily four times the size of the original Boisdale, it was still quite a spectacle to see the entirety of Jools Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra –easily twenty performers in five or six rows!- filling the space. It is very rare thing to be within a few feet of a world-class big band, rarer still to see all of them on such an intimate stage.
Packing out venues like the Royal Albert Hall, Boisdale Canary Wharf’s new patron included a huge range of styles in the program, from good old rhythm & blues to reggae, jive, pop and rockin’ boogie woogie.
Blinding solos by sax player Derek Nash – in fact the entire brass section - kept the energy level as high as it gets. With a members roster including some of the biggest names in the business- and some of the world's finest musicians- it was an absolute pleasure to be in the audience at Boisdale!
Guest singers included superstar pop legend Sandie Shaw, who appeared in all of her barefooted-glory in a glamourous black sequined dress, singing tunes including her 1960s UK-number-one chart topper “(There's) Always Something There to Remind Me”- immediately getting the audience out of their chairs.
Following Sandie’s set, powerhouse soul singer Ruby Turner took to the stage, with tunes including ‘He Gives Me Love, Crazy Love’ – keeping the audience going right through to ‘Enjoy Yourself, It’s Later Than You Think’ where she was joined by ska-trombone master, 76-year old Rico Rodriguez.
Jools Holland’s Rhythm and Blues Orchestra are without doubt one of the hottest big bands in the world today – their nearly two-hour set at Boisdale Canary Wharf was perfectly paced, immaculately
orchestrated, immensely enjoyable Five stars! .
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