Jason Isaacs & Zita Frith @ Bonbar March 29.

Jason Isaacs (vcl/ten); Mark Webb, Darren Irwin (tpt); Dave Brock  (tmb); Andy Bennett, Ray Dales (reeds); Stuart Collingwood (pno); Neil Harland (bs); Simon Ferry (dms) + Zita Frith (vcl).
(Review by Lance).
A Jason Isaacs' show isn't just another gig it's an occasion - a happening! The songs and the routines may be familiar but, somehow, he makes you think you're hearing them for the first time, such is the man's charismatic appeal. 
Tramp; Beyond the Sea; Kick in the Head; Minnie the Moocher; That's Life; Leroy Brown and many more made this a ring-a-ding-ding of a show.
A tribute to Francis Albert (Weren't they all?) with You Make me Feel so Young brought Songs For Swinging Lovers to mind, the Nelson Riddle arrangement cleverly orchestrated for the octet - I think piano may have commandeered the flute passage. I say 'may have' as a group at the bar were more intent on hearing their own voices than Jason's meaning some of the nuances were lost for the serious listener.
Send in the Clowns almost tempted me to call out that they were already here. I didn't but, at the conclusion of the beautifully rendered Sondheim classic, Jason did address another noisy group (sitting in the 'posh end' too) saying, "You've been talking for two hours, can you not shut up for three minutes!"
However, these were but minor irritations in an evening that never dragged. Harry Connick Jr's We Are in Love from the film When Harry Met Sally floored me! A tune I knew but hadn't previously paid much attention to - I paid attention to it tonight!
One of the other highlights was a cameo appearance by Zita Frith, formerly of Frith Street, a band doing the rounds a few year's back, who came close to upstaging the great man himself!
Fever â la Peggy and Get Happy â la Judy had the crowd yelling for more which they got in the form of a duet by Jason and Zita on Me and my Shadow.
Zita - who along with friend Peter, Bob Gladwin former singer and head honcho of Beverly Artists, Tom and Kirsten, shared our table - will be singing in the Redwood Bar of the Vermont Hotel* on April 10 which, unfortunately clashes with GIJF.
The following day, April 11, Jason makes a return trip to London's Boisdale. Situated in the Canary Wharf shopping complex, Boisdale is a great venue and the 'canary' with Jason at Canary Wharf is Faye Tozer well worth a trip down - just a shame it had to clash with the jazz festival at Sage Gateshead.
To sum up this evening - convivial company, good food and great music.
Lance.
*More on the Vermont Hotel shortly.