Sunday night @ the Globe: Liane Carroll - Nov. 17

© Sheila Herrick

Liane Carroll (piano, vocals)

The night was cold, windscreens were showing signs of frost. Winter had arrived a couple of weeks ahead of schedule. Even England's 5-0 win over the Rep of Ireland didn't warm the cockles. It was a night to be sitting by the radiator with a bowl of gruel not to be venturing forth in woolly hat and last year's Christmas jumper. However there was method behind the madness of going to the Globe by bus, train and Mr Shank's pony.

Liane Carroll!

© Russell

The UK's most unique and original jazz singer was in town and by the time I arrived, which was well ahead of the advertised 8:00pm start, the room was already filling up and, it was warm!

The singer had been 'in residence' at the Globe tutoring a two-day jazz singing course culminating with the Sunday evening concert. I spoke to several of the students who had attended the course and all spoke in glowing terms of the experience.

Cometh the hour cometh the woman  and she hit the deck running with Almost Like Being in Love. This set the pattern. Some superb piano playing, the  one-off voice,  all peppered with jokes and anecdotes that had the audience in stitches. 

© Russell (apologies to students omitted)

Even the ballads weren't spared the full-on approach - with a couple of exceptions: Here's to Life did away with the razz-a-ma-tazz and almost brought tears to my eyes it was so emotional. The other was Tom Waits' Take me Home which had the survivors of the course forming a backing choir for Liane. This was not only a credit to the teacher but also to the students who absorbed the teaching and raised their own game in the process.

As you can see from the set list (I missed the titles of a couple of Donald Fagen tunes) the material was sound. I particularly liked Janis Ian's 'hit' At Seventeen. A couple of encores and a singalong to finish had the audience thinking that, despite the weather, it had been well worth it. In fact, upon reflection, when Liane announced her last 'last' number we should have responded with a chorus of Baby it's Cold Outside! Lance   

Almost Like Being in Love; The Very Thought of You; Fever; You Don't Know What Love Is; I'm Gonna Take it With me When I Go; St. Louis Blues; At Seventeen; I Love Paris; Take me Home; They Can't Take That Away From Me; Lover Come Back to Me/California Sunshine Boy; Seaside; Here's to Life; Orange Colored Sky; Summertime/My Favorite Things; On the Sunny Side of the Street; What a Wonderful World.