Round-Up: Georgia Mancio's ReVoice! Festival

Georgia Mancio (photo by Brian O'Connor)

ReVoice! Festival
(Pizza Express, Dean Street. Thursday 6th to Friday 14th October. Round-up by Zena James.)

All credit once again to popular vocalist and innovator Georgia Mancio for achieving sell-outs and a genuine sense of international teamwork throughout her second annual (we hope) ReVoice! festival at Pizza Express Dean St earlier this month.

Norma Winstone and Klaus Gesing (photo by Dave Ohm)

Following the rousing opening night featuring a true first, a striking duet between Georgia and electric bassist and composer, Laurence Cottle and sealed with the ever-flawless, inventive and much-loved doyenne Norma Winstone, came one of the hippest highlights of this nine-day, 37-artist celebration. Gregory Porter, the hugely engaging baritone jazz singer fast making a name for his intense originals, chose against the odds to treat his audience to the full-on energetic soul of a pure Motown opener, Way to Harlem. You can’t find it on I-Tunes yet but the song is already on the list for his planned second release in 2012, featuring mix of swing, soul, R&B, gospel and “a lot about love, family and life”.

But pure jazz lovers didn’t have long to wait. Already well-served by Georgia’s nimble opening jazz set with pianist Nikki Iles, Porter’s audience relished a rich-toned compelling Skylark, one of the best versions I’ve heard. Wayne Shorter’s Black Nile from Porter’s current much-acclaimed album Water brought his raw energy to the fore as he almost physically propelled an already incredibly powerful rhythm section of Geoff Gascoyne, Grant Windsor and Dave Ohm. Outstanding full-pelt solos from saxophonist Ben Castle and trumpeter Graeme Flowers made this an exhilarating start to a set that never faltered.

Gregory Porter (photo by Brian O'Connor)

Irresistible tones of 70’s and 80’s pop-soul singers were present throughout and easily as prominent as the smooth Nat King Cole sound he is so frequently credited with.

The highlight was Be Good, a beautifully written and perfectly delivered ballad about “a woman who broke my heart”, the title track of his next album. It was upstaged only by his magical signature tune Illusion and the high-energy political soul anthem single, 1960 What? A great start to the weekend.

Sachal Vasandani (photo by Cat Munro)

And the treats kept coming. Following a scat-collaboration and whistle –off on Sunday between Georgia and guitarist Jim Mullen, the American vocalist Sachal Vasandani, a mentee of Jon Hendricks, played an almost continuous sophisticated and slick set for an entire hour without pause.

Kenny Wheeler, John Taylor and Diana Torto (photo by Dave Ohm)

Monday saw Italy's newest diva, Diana Torto, who fronted trumpet legend Kenny Wheeler's new and remarkable Something Else quartet for two popular nights. This was one of Georgia’s personal favourites, as well as a tearjerker, in her own duo set, of a piano solo on In My Life by James Pearson, which she admits would have rendered her soundless has she not been on stage with him…

Barbara Raimondi & Roberto Taufic (photo by Dave Ohm)

Wednesday’s magic was Contigo en la Distancia led by Italian vocalist, Barbara Raimondi, with Brazilian guitarist, Roberto Taufic, and UK-based Italian percussionist and drummer, Enzo Zirilli. Their musical painting of Latin America showcased Raimondi's wonderful sense of rhythm and passionate delivery.

Brian Hanlon (photo by Dave Ohm)

Georgia and monthly Dean St bassist Michael Janisch brought subtlety and gentleness to Thursday’s audience, which gave way to a dynamic groove-laden set again featuring Janisch alongside sax maestro Nigel Hitchcock, exciting young pianist Ross Stanley and led by Irish-American singer/guitarist Brian Hanlon.

The week closed with a double bill of sheer class as Georgia and Ian Shaw opened the show with easily their most impressive and entertaining collaboration to date. Highlights were a moving Alone Again Naturally (Gilbert O' Sullivan), an outstanding vocally dexterous multi-tempo/multi-feel Willow Weep For Me and a rousing bi-lingual treatment of a favourite of these longstanding friends and collaborators, Bowie’s Life on Mars.

David Linx (photo by Dave Ohm)

And so to the very eagerly anticipated Belgian singer and composer David Linx, with his award-winning Dutch pianist and collaborator of 20 years, Diederik Wissils. Steeped in classical influence and with incredible agility, this was a bold presentation of 8 originals, from dark, almost sinister ballads to high-speed percussive scat-fests reminiscent of Bobby McFerrin. Always commanding and very physically expressive, yet locked reflectively inside the melody and lyrics, he is at once both showman and introvert, quirkily original and somehow quite incomparable. The touching Proper Shelter, featuring Wissels extraordinary classical talents and the closing I’m Going Home were notable high points; yet judging by the reaction at Dean St, it won’t be long before he’s invited back to the UK…perhaps by Georgia….

Review: BLINQ

BLINQ - Natalie Williams Liane Carroll, Brendan Reilly (vocals) Ian Shaw (vocals and piano), Gwilym Simcock ( piano and melodica) (Ronnie Scott's, August 12th 2011, part of Britjazz Festival. Review by Sebastian Scotney)

No ifs, no buts about this one. The debut of vocal supergroup BLINQ, on the glorious 12th goes straight up there as one of my gigs of the year.

There was lots of happy onstage banter between the pairs of friends. The first thought which the group shared with the audience was that this project putting, these four singers together, was not without risk: "we all drink too much." A thought later echoed in the poignant lyrics to Ian Shaw's "Let's Stay 42, sung as a duet with Liane Carroll.

We cover our secrets with a drink and a smile. [..] /A whisky in your cup, a vodka in mine. /We won't wake the house up, we'll talk until nine

But if there was banter, there was also a infectious atmosphere of fellowship, mutual encouragement and fun. Yes, the singers were showing off mercilessly, their exuberant scat contests witnessed salchows, lutzes, axels, pikes, twists and tucks, but they were also leading the appreciation and the cheering, for each other,  from onstage.

And there was also musicality. Heaps of it. BLINQ might be billed a vocal quartet, but forget the traditional SATB. All four singers have astonishing ranges. All lead or blend at will. And for a first performnce, the polish, the ensemble, the dash and panache of the whole enterprise were stunning.

Highlights? Several. The Tom Cawley/Natalie Williams composition Good Old Days - asking the question what life can have been like before we all had mobile phones implanted - might well be the song to put this group definitively in front of a larger audience (Jools?), Gwilym Simcock's arrangement of Pastorius' Liberty City was a first take wonder of virtuosity.

But the quieter moments counted too. Brendan Reilly's song Little Black Raincloud is a gem. And then there is Gwilym Simcock. Or, in the words of the Sun "Gwil done, son." As accompanist, finding the right colours and textures, the right seas for the good ship BLINQ to travel over, he was remarkable throughout. The fourth of the segued ballad medley featured Ian Shaw in My Foolish Heart. The ending was a moment for pure goosebumps, reminiscent of Bill Evans accompanying Tony Bennett. Shaw was disappearing into the shadows towards 49 Frith Street, taking the falsetto into high, ethereal territory. But my ear was caught by the sotto voce piano chords and wanderings which accompanied that ascent. Placed to perfection.

Support were Ayanna Witter Johnson's Quartet. A magical set, producing the quietest Friday night first set audience ever, according to Ronnie's CEO Simon Cooke. But that's a separate review, for next week. As for BLINQ, when LondonJazz newsletter subscribers like the programmers of festivals in Cologne, Hamburg and Montreux read this, they should be booking this group.

And yeah, we're all in this together innit. If Boris and Dave are concerned (as they bloody well should be after a week like we've just had) that Britain should be projected at its most joyous, they need look no further than BLINQ. Something very special started tonight.

www.ronniescotts.co.uk

Review: An Evening With Fran Landesman

An Evening With Fran Landesman
(Leicester Square Theatre, April 19th 2011, part of the Art of Sonf Festival. Review by Kai Hoffman)

I can count myself as lucky to have seen iconic Beat-generation poet Allen Ginsburg perform, shortly before he died back in the 1990s. That energy, enthusiasm, dry humour, stabbing wit, poignancy and boundless zest for life – I’ll never forget the power of that performance.

Tonight, I was equally privileged to see the amazing Fran Landesman, American poet, lyricist and one of the last living links to the Beat Generation. What a woman. What chutzpah. Her energy, enthusiasm, dry humour and terrifically pointed one-liners, along with her incredible catalogue-like memory of her poetry – at age 84 – are astounding. Her lyrics describe the things one often only wishes could be expressed in words (or said out loud in polite company) – from the poignant ‘Scars’ and ‘Tomorrow Never Came’ to the sassy ‘I Want to be Good’ – there are boundless brilliant lines.

Last night’s show, celebrating Fran’s vast career of more than 50 years, was a moving, funny, and evocative evening of songs, words and laughter, performed immaculately by celebrated jazz vocalists including Ian Shaw, Gwyneth Herbert, Sarah Moule and Nicki Leighton-Thomas.

The performance featured a trio of double bassist extraordinaire Dave Green, with Fran’s guitarist son, Miles Davis Landesman, plus her expert composition partner of nearly twenty years, pianist Simon Wallace. He had co-written all but three of last night’s tunes. It started out with award-winning vocalist Gwyneth Herbert and ‘The Ballad of the Sad Young Men.’ Gwyneth’s clean, eloquent phrasing complemented the text perfectly – and set the mood for a fantastic evening of Fran Landesman’s varied and witty lyrics. The synergy between Landesman’s words and Wallace’s scores is evocative, sometimes melancholy, sometimes frisky, and always right-on-the-money. Amazing!

Host Joe Paice guided Fran expertly through various key moments of her illustrious career, including anecdotes involving Miles Davis, Gerry Mulligan, Susannah McCorkle, Dudley Moore, Annie Ross, Marty Feldman, Bette Midler and countless other famous names from the 20th century. One of her songs in particular, ‘Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most,’ boasts recordings by Ella Fitzgerald & Barbara Streisand among countless other famous names – and Fran’s favourite rendition, by BBC Jazz Vocalist of the Year two-time winner Ian Shaw – who once again delivered the song immaculately at Leicester Square Theatre last night.

Fran’s own singing and recitations of her poetry were sensational – I particularly loved ‘Crown of Thorns,’ ‘It’s Not Your Night’ and her tear-provoking ‘Scars.’ Other highlights of the evening included Nicki Leighton-Thomas’ dynamic version of ‘Damned if I Do’ (also available on her wonderful CD dedicated to the songs of Wallace & Landesman), guest singer Pete Atkin’s moving version of ‘Snows of Yesteryear,’ and Sarah Moule’s versatile rendition of ‘Nothing Like You’ (a song which was recorded by Miles Davis in 1967 on his album ‘Sorcerer’).

Having been nicknamed the ‘Patron Saint of Lovers & Losers,’ Fran Landesman’s remarkable lifetime catalogue of songs were celebrated in a worthy manner last evening – may there be many more such nights!

franlandesman.com

Photos: Newton/Aspland and Mason/Shaw

Here, caught by Roger Thomas's lens, are - left to right - Dave Newton and Robin Aspland (above) and Ian Shaw and Janette Mason (below) from the 2011 Steinway Two Piano Festival at Pizza Express Dean Street.