Tawiah – ‘Borders’ (Review)
An anthem of contemporary soul – A singer-songwriter from South-West London, Tawiah stunned this writer at her concert last year at The Albany – the highlight of which was her original […]
‘How It Feels’ – Alex Opal, Jam Jam (Review)
‘How It Feels’ is the newest single from Tyneside-based songwriter and producer Alex Opal, featuring new wave vocalist Jam Jam. Raised on soul music in its various strands, Opal expresses […]
Patti Boulaye’s ‘Aretha & Me’ at The Pheasantry
Boulaye puts on a bizarre show, underscoring her charisma and humour but signalling her serious limitations as a vocalist – Beginning an Aretha Franklin tribute with a breathless rendition of […]
Janette Mason’s D’Ranged at Pizza Express Live (2) (Review)
Janette Mason can’t just cover a song straight. A passionate musician with a subversive imagination, she has to add her own touches. In 2014 she released an album, D’Ranged, where […]
Shida at The Vaults (Review)
Shida provides a visceral and unapologetic examination of a life derailed , with stellar acting and singing from Jeannete Bayardelle – Developed and premiered at the Ars Nova in New […]
Antibalas Pay Respect to Aretha at Barbican Centre (Review)
Antibalas offered a mix of the popular and the obscure, played with vigour and brought to life by an exciting line-up of guest vocalists – In the event programme, Antibalas […]
‘Next To You’ – Ben L’Oncle Soul (Review)
A singer-songwriter from France, Ben L’Oncle Soul surprised many with his eponymous debut album in 2010 – which featured a funky re-imagining of The White Stripes’ ‘Seven Nation Army‘ and […]
Vanessa Haynes at Pizza Express Live (Review)
‘…Haynes has an innate soulfulness’ – A lead vocalist with acid jazzers Incognito, Vanessa Haynes has a fanbase across the UK and Europe among soul, funk, and jazz enthusiasts. She recently […]
‘Never Let School’ – Thabo (Review)
Though quiet and unassuming in person, the ‘gritty soul’ singer Thabo can bring the house down when he takes to the stage. Having taken a hiatus to focus on new […]
Carroll Thompson at Pizza Express Live (Review)
Carroll Thompson – the Queen of Lovers Rock – was utterly radiant on stage – Born in England to Jamaican parents, Thompson rose to prominence in the 1980s when her […]
‘This Bitter Earth’ – Aruba Red (Review)
Written by Clyde Otis, ‘This Bitter Earth’ was hit for rhythm-and-blues icon Dinah Washington in 1960. The string-laden arrangement, with Otis’ sombre lyrics, carries pangs of melancholy. Washington’s commanding delivery […]
Mississippi Goddam: Ledisi and Lisa Fischer sing Nina Simone (Review)
An exhilarating tribute to Nina Simone commanded by Jules Buckley, with divine singing from Ledisi and Lisa Fischer – Nina Simone – dubbed the ‘High Priestess of Soul’ – remains an idol […]
Judi Jackson at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club (Review)
A charged and soulful performance from a rising star – Introduced as an artist ‘making a lot of noise’ within international jazz, Judi Jackson sauntered to the stage at Ronnie […]
VIDEO PREMIERE: ‘Burning Through’ – Gideon King & City Blog, feat. Alita Moses (Review)
The previous release by Gideon King and City Blog, ‘Audience of One’, was a strikingly ‘introspective meditation on loneliness’. The same confessional storytelling is applied to the jazz collective’s most […]