The Vortex Jazz Club, 11 Gillett Square, London N16 8JH | Bookings 020 7254 4097 | Enquiries 020 7993 3643 | Email Info at Vortex

November 2006
gig reviews

Oren Marshall - Charming Transport Band
John Law Trio
Andy Sheppard - 200 Saxophones - the opening of Gillett Square
Convergence Quartet
Robert Mitchell and Omar Puente
Ian Shaw
Mike Westbrook Village Band Project
Christine Tobin
Billy Jenkins
Huw Warren and Peter Herbert, Led Bib
Anker, Craig, Cleaver & Curios
Nikki Yeoh
Dog Soup
Sex Mob
Taeko Kunishima

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November 2006 gig reviews by Chris Parker

Christine Tobin

Sunday 12 - at the Floral Hall, Royal Opera House

Radio 3 were recording the gig, and (reportedly) the sound as they received it was perfect; this was definitely not the case for those actually present, who had to struggle to hear anything meaningful at all from the stage, lost as it was in the vast roof of the old flower market.

Nevertheless, as far as could be discerned, Tobin was in great form, mixing her subtle and cogent originals with material by Leonard Cohen ('Everybody Knows') and a new song commissioned specially for the Festival from Lola Perrin.

Hearing such (mainly) familiar material in a fresh instrumental context (pianist Liam Noble, cellist Kate Short, bassist Peter Herbert) was fascinating; the celebrated '24-carat voice' gained welcome prominence, blending in a highly affecting manner with Short's sonorous playing in particular, but also profiting from the delicate propulsion of the tastefully rippling Noble and the unfussily virtuosic Herbert.

Given the vastly increased prominence of vocal jazz in the past couple of years, it is a continuing mystery why Tobin has not been taken up and lionised, because she has everything: a swooningly lovely voice capable of dealing with everything from the tenderest ballad to the most powerful soul/pop vehicle (her 'Dancing in the Street' from Billy Jenkins's True Love Collection is, for my money, far and away the most effective version ever recorded); an easy, graceful stage manner; and faultless taste in music (anyone who correctly identifies Leonard Cohen as the best songwriter currently working, assuming Joni Mitchell has retired, gets my vote every time).

 

 

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