Claire Kelly (vocals); Pete Gilligan (piano).
(Review by Ann Alex/photo courtesy of Dave Parker).
And the BSH gold medal doesn’t go to Claire Kelly. Lance will burst into tears when he reads that Claire rounded off her excellent performance with (yes!) Summertime. The audience of 6 or so soon became many, as Claire’s friends and admirers flocked in, so that by the end of the gig it was rather lively with a couple dancing at the front and shouts of encouragement from the audience. Pete had assisted with choosing the set list, so Claire was singing some numbers she’d not sung for a few years but you wouldn’t have guessed. Ms Kelly is soon to return to her current home in Thailand, a shame for us but Thailand’s gain, as she’s up there with the best of our ‘local’ women singers.
Confident, strong-voiced and with stage presence, Claire began with I’ve Got The World On A String; and We’ll Be Together Again, followed by very convincing scatting on Aqua De Beber; for contrast we had Ain’t Nobody’s Business But My Own, very bluesy, sliding up and down the scales and Pete in speakeasy mode, playing as well as we’ve come to expect, and better. Let’s Slip Away was from the singing of Cleo Laine, whom Claire once encountered in a lift; the first half closed with a ballad, A Song For You.
We resumed with Beautiful Love and This Masquerade both well-acted, not just sung, and Masquerade was given an improvised ending before being gently faded out. Then a song about clichés old and new (didn’t catch the title); Pete’s choice of Whisper Not; then I’ve Grown Accustomed To His Face and a Carmen McCrae song called Tip Toe Gently (I think). My Heart Belongs To Daddy was wonderfully sleazy, with strong sleazy-sounding chords from Pete who was obviously thoroughly enjoying himself, especially when he sang the last line for Claire, after making her laugh out loud .A lively West Coast Blues got a rather gospelly ending, to riotous applause, then came Summertime, just as the Metro called me home, so other songs could have followed for all I know.
A good time was had by all. Thank you, Claire, Pete and the Jazz Co-op.
Ann Alex
ha,ha,had a good laugh at"Summertime" Ann...cannot imagine why Lance dislikes it so much, or maybe it's because it is overdone by wannabes!!
ReplyDeleteI don't dislike 'Summertime'. It's a great song but, as you say, it's been overdone - not just by the 'wannabes' (which Claire has long moved up from) but by every singer - it's almost become their national anthem. I loved the first thousand renditions but after that I wondered why they didn't dip further into the Porgy and Bess songbook?
ReplyDeleteLance, Here is a question. Please answer carefully. About these wannabes, are they always singers or do you come across, say, saxophone or drum wannabes, or even banjo wannabes? Just a thought.
ReplyDeleteOf course Ann! From the moment you sit at the piano or behind the kit or blow your first note or sing the first chorus of 'The Wheels on the bus go round and round' you're a wannabe. How MUCH you want to be is what makes the difference.
ReplyDeleteThe reviewer asked about a song Claire Kelly sang at the Globe last Saturday - it's called New Clichés.
ReplyDeleteClaire had first heard it on an album by singer Diane Hubka
(The above info was emailed to me by Nathan Allonby)