Sunderland's Fire Station, like Durham's Gala Theatre, South Shields' Customs House and the same town's Westovian Theatre along with other venues across the country, has a comfortable, cosy feel to it that many bigger, more prestigious venues, often fail to achieve and, as such, are ideal for acts like the Puppini Sisters. Acts that tread an area somewhere twixt pop and jazz from bygone eras yet still be relavent today.
Last night's show, in front of a near capacity audience, saw the 'sisters' celebrating their twentieth anniversary as a close-harmony trio although in actual fact top UK jazz singer Emma Smith has only been with them 12 years - 'Baby Puppini'?
The harmonies are great. Even when singing a more recent number such as Beyoncé's Crazy in Love, the older, long gone, sister acts i.e. the Boswells and the Andrews aren't too far away.
Yes, a truly great group but, only as great as the component parts who absolutely nailed it in their solo spots.
Kate Mullins' feature, Crazy he Calls me, set the bar very high. Some stratspheric notes way beyond her normal contralto range gave this beautiful Carl Sigman and Bob Russell song an extra piquancy.
Marcella Puppini did justice to Fats Waller's Jitterbug Waltz*, helped along the way by her accordion accompaniment and the atmospheric lyric.
BSH's favourite jazz singer, Emma Smith, surprised me with Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree. Originally sung on a Decca 78 by the Andrews Sisters and by Tex Beneke with Glenn Miller and the Modernaires on the RCA label as a bouncy, not too serious number, Emma slows it right down to a heartfelt ballad. She did the same thing with There's no Business Like Show Business on her first solo album Meshuga Baby. It worked then and it worked on Apple Tree - magic!
The whole show was, of course, held together by the superb trio who accompanied and soloed effectively. Kolarides on guitar being particularly outstanding with bass and drums also exceptional.
A most enjoyable evening. Lance
*I wonder how many in the audience knew that Fats Waller actually played at Sunderland's Empire Theatre, situated next door, back in April 1939?
Get Happy; Mr Sandman; Putting on the Ritz; Crazy in Love; Crazy he Calls me; Hit the Road Jack; Total Eclipse of the Heart; Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy From Company B; Walk Like an Egyptian; Wuthering Heights; Jitterbug Waltz; I Got Rhythm; I Put a Spell on You; Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree; We Love to Bebop; Tu vuò fà l'americano; O Holy Night.
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