Jason Isaacs @ Hoochie Coochie - Dec. 8

(Review by Lance).

Last Sunday it was Michael Bublé knocking ‘em dead at The Arena. This Sunday it was Jason Isaacs knocking ‘em dead at Hoochie Coochie. Both venues were packed to capacity and deservedly so.

Just as it had been at The Arena there was a buzz of anticipation about Hoochie. Chris, a charming lady sitting next to me, told me she’d once fallen asleep watching Rod Stewart in Las Vegas. I told her you didn’t need to go to Vegas to fall asleep listening to Rod Stewart and promised her she wouldn’t fall asleep listening to Jason. Nobody sleeps at Hoochie Coochie! 

Conversation ceased as the unmistakeable intro to Cry Me a River signified the show had begun.

Julie London stamped her authority so powerfully on this song that few girl singers can top it. However, as Bublé proved last week, it takes on a different identity with the gender change and Jason moved comfortably into the Bublé ball park.

A high-kicking Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown had the feet tapping and the hips shaking whilst The Way You Look Tonight reminded me just what a great and romantic song this is.

It being Christmas – so they tell me – a seasonal song was called for and we got Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow although nobody hoped that it actually would snow even though we were, supposedly dreaming of a White Christmas but, That’s Life (bit of audience participation on this one).

This was another fun night. Maybe it wasn’t/isn’t jazz as we think of it today more as they knew it at The Cotton Club or the Savoy in Harlem back in the day. To prove it, Jason dusted off his tenor sax for that old jazz classic Why Don’t You Do Right? Jayboy blows good tenor although he is the first to admit he comes in second when he jousts with Lewis Watson as he did later (see photo).

The seemingly inevitable American Trilogy never fails to make me cringe but, by the same token, the powerful arrangement offers something in the way of compensation.

And so the show rolled on Beyond the Sea; Mr Bojangles; Brand New Day; Sway; King of the Road; Mack the Knife; Can’t Take my Eyes off You; Go, You’re Indestructible; Never Gonna Give You Up; Jump, Jive, Wail; Sweet Caroline; Suspicious Minds; Burnin’ Love and the crowd pleaser which had just about everyone on their feet - New York, New York. One of these days he will substitute New York, New York with Newcastle, Newcastle. Yesterday would have been a good time as United had just beaten Southampton – the opportunity may never come again!

And then it was all over except it wasn’t – this crowd weren’t going to let him take an early bath – and the pink-suited hero of the hour returned to tell us that Everybody Needs Somebody.

A predictable but nonetheless enjoyable evening.

Lance 
Jason Isaacs (vocals/tenor sax); Darren Irwin, Mark Webb (trumpets); Dave Brock (trombone); Niall Armstrong (alto sax/clarinet/flute); Lewis Watson (tenor sax/flute); Stu Collingwood (piano); Neil Harland (bass); Simon Ferry (drums).