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

February 2007
gig reviews

Alex Bonney Quartet
Soren Norbo with Django Bates
Ian Shaw
MA
John Donaldson Trio
Bheki Mseleku
Fraud
Gwilym Simcock
Basquiat Strings with Seb Rochford

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February 2007 gig reviews by Chris Parker

Ian Shaw

Friday 9 February

As predicted, Ian Shaw delighted a packed club with a wholly enjoyable solo performance taking in everything from Cole Porter (an intelligently rearranged 'Get Out of Town' opened his first set with zip and panache) and the odd original to material by Joni Mitchell and Chick Corea.

The latter's 'Spain' is a Shaw staple, enabling the singer-pianist both to demonstrate his (considerable) pianistic prowess and to indulge in bouts of characteristically self-deprecating banter.

For warm humour, intimacy and sheer stagecraft, Shaw is unbeatable in his Vortex performances; he's clearly utterly relaxed, establishing an instant rapport with his audience, so that his set-closing Aretha Franklin-style soul-blues, during which he successfully transformed his listeners into an ad hoc backing group, was both uplifting and musically cogent, while his visits to Joni Mitchell material were respectful enough to enable him to deal with subjects as wide-ranging as alcohol-fuelled volubility ('Talk to Me'), rueful advice to lovers ('Play It Cool') and abusive childhoods ('Cherokee Louise') with equal effectiveness.

 

 

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