Presented by Gospo Enterprises
Reviewed 21 February 2015
Jazz vocals are alive and well, if this show is anything to go by.
Musician and teacher, Charmaine Jones, has gathered up four of her best students to help pay tribute to five unique and influential jazz vocalists. The show opens with Abi Dibb taking on Billie Holliday. This is no mean feat for the best singer, let alone a girl fresh out of school. Dibb has a beautiful voice and superb technique, obvious from her opening number The Very Thought of You. Once she learns to relax and lean into the music, she will be a force to be reckoned with, and I would love to see her tackle Strange Fruit.
Next, paying homage to the, often over-looked, Carmen McRae was Laura Zubreckyj . She had the room eating out of her jazz-hands with her energy, smooth technique and relaxed rapport. We nearly all sang along with Straighten Up and Fly Right. I was delighted to see Astrud Gilberto get a Guernsey, in the form of the delightful Erin McKellar, who managed to sing in a Brazilian accent, without sounding like a parody. Opening with Girl From Ipanema, she then moved into some standards a la Gilberto, such as It Might As Well Be Spring, finishing with Fly Me To the Moon. In a nice segue,
Elisabeth Beltrame then took over that same song as Sarah Vaughan, before belting out such numbers as Day In, Day Out and How High the Moon. Beltrame was magic.
Final performer of the night was director, producer and teacher, Charmaine Jones as the inimitable Ella Fitzgerald. Jones brought it home with a faultless medley, including gems like My Funny Valentine and The Nearness of You.
Supporting these fabulous women were Alex Wignall, playing beautifully on the keys, and Chris Soole, who played sax in various styles including those of Lester Young and Stan Getz. Both guys kept up their end of the music, without pulling focus from the girls.
This is a show for anyone who loves good jazz and these women deserve full support. Jones is a teacher and mentor who is prepared to put her money where her students are, and who wants to raise the standard of jazz singing in Adelaide.
With this show, she is well on the way.
Reviewed by Tracey Korsten
Twitter: @TraceyKorsten
Rating (out of 5): 4
Venue: Salisbury Secret Garden & La Boheme
Season: 21st February and 6th March
Duration: 90 minutes
Tickets: $30
Bookings: Book through FringeTix online or at a FringeTix box office (booking fees apply)
https://www.adelaidefringe.com.au
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