Pannonica @ The Jazz Cafe January 8

Zoe Gilby – Vocals , Paul Edis – Piano

(Review by Steve H.)

Pannonica is Zoe Gilby’s tribute to the interpretation of Thelonious Monk by her musical heroine Carmen McRae. Several rave reviews can already be found in these electronic pages. A quartet here, a trio there. Last night we saw a stripped down version of the project with just Paul Edis on piano accompanying Zoe and what a glorious New Year’s treat it was. Paul’s playing of Monk’s work is sensational and Zoe’s interpretation of these great instrumental compositions stunning.

Each song is introduced with a brief historical explanation by prospective ‘Mastermind’ contestant Zoe, although the non-Monk digression about Zoe’s mother Hilary’s chance meeting with McRae and Dizzy Gillespie was the anecdotal highlight of the evening. Zoe’s late father Mike was mortified when Hilary told Dizzy that she had named her cat after him. The great man however was not in the slightest bit put out and took the name sharing as a compliment.

As for musical highlights it would be impossible to single out any particular number as they were all brilliant. The whole Monk canon was wonderfully represented, although the final number The Ballad of Thelonious Monk, written by Jimmy Rowles, was a delightful humorous country and western song famously sung by Carmen McRae at Ratso's.  

  A special thank you I feel should go to The Jazz Cafe for not charging entry for their first gig of 2016. To be able to hear music of this class in such intimate surroundings proves that sometimes ‘there is such a thing as a free lunch’. Sometimes the noise levels at these non-paying gigs can be quite distracting but on Friday night the audience was able to enjoy the music without any background disturbance. Even the most ebullient of Cafe revellers were silenced by the sheer quality of the performance from this outstanding duo.

Steve H.