Dana Masters (vocals); Cian Boylan (piano);
Freddie Gavita (trumpet)
Courtesy of Glenn Wright
There are few better places to spend a sweltering summer evening than Upstairs at Ronnie Scott's. While the historic main room downstairs remains the beating heart of the club, Upstairs has developed a character entirely its own. On a night when London temperatures remained stubbornly in the high twenties, the wonderfully efficient air conditioning was appreciated almost as much as the music itself. Cool, intimate and wonderfully relaxed, there isn't a bad seat in the house. Whether seated just a few feet from the stage or leaning against the bar watching Ronnie Scott's expert staff effortlessly mixing cocktails while Masters' effortlessly expressive voice filled the room, every audience member felt part of the performance.
That atmosphere doesn't happen by accident. Steph once again ensured the evening ran with the effortless professionalism for which Ronnie Scott's is rightly renowned, while new Members' Liaison Lara made every guest feel genuinely welcome from the moment they arrived. It is this combination of exceptional hospitality, impeccable service and world-class music that continues to make Ronnie Scott's one of London's truly special venues.
Having reviewed Dana Masters' appearance during the reopening season earlier this year, what struck me most on this return visit was just how completely she now inhabits the room. Back in February it felt as though she'd found a venue perfectly suited to her gifts. Now she owns it. Not through grandstanding or theatricality, but through warmth, honesty and the rare ability to make every audience member feel as though they're sharing an evening with an old friend.
Before a note had properly settled, Masters had the room in fits of laughter. Confessing that she'd suffered an "outrageous wardrobe malfunction" barely five minutes before walking on stage, she explained that the carefully chosen concert outfit had been abandoned in favour of what she hilariously described as "casual opulence"—the clothes she'd arrived in. It was vintage Dana Masters. Completely unforced, utterly self-deprecating and instantly disarming. Within moments the audience wasn't simply listening to a singer; they were sharing stories with someone they felt they already knew.
That ability to hold a room is becoming one of Masters' defining qualities. Between songs she drifted effortlessly from tales of raising her sons in Ireland to her unapologetic love of country music, from Nashville songwriting sessions to forthcoming family trips to South Africa. Even introducing the wrong song by mistake became another opportunity for laughter. Nothing ever felt rehearsed. Every anecdote flowed naturally into the music, creating an intimacy that is almost impossible to manufacture.
Musically, the evening was equally compelling. Opening with Falling For You, Masters immediately established the relaxed atmosphere that would define the evening before moving through originals including Real Good Mood, then came Need You, the emotional centre of the evening and a remarkable eight minute version. Here, Dana Masters revealed not only the beauty of her voice, but the extraordinary depth of her artistry. Accompanied solely by Cian Boylan’s exquisitely judged piano, the performance unfolded with remarkable patience, allowing every lyric to settle. Time itself seemed to slow. The room became utterly motionless, conversations ceased and an almost reverential silence settled across Upstairs at Ronnie Scott’s. It was one of those magical moments that cannot be rehearsed or manufactured; it simply happens when an artist achieves complete communion with an audience.
Masters held the room in the palm of her hand. Every phrase carried weight, every pause had purpose and every note felt entirely honest. As the song reached its conclusion, she gently quoted the words “God only knows” twice, a subtle and deeply affecting nod to Brian Wilson and Tony Asher’s masterpiece. Looking around the room, I found myself thinking of Above & Beyond’s Making Plans and the beautiful lyric “time held its breath a motionless spell of rapture, across the room a memory had been captured ” That single thought perfectly encapsulated what was unfolding before us and or a few unforgettable minutes, nobody wanted the moment to end. So Easy To Forget, Waste Your Time, Make it you, Happy and the wonderfully uplifting audience participation piece All Damn Day, inspired by one of her sons.
Her choice of covers demonstrated both impeccable taste and genuine affection for great songs Where or When written by Rodgers and Hart from Babes In Arms. Albert Hammond and Carole Bayer Sager's When I Need You—made famous by Leo Sayer. Reduced to voice, piano and trumpet, it revealed fresh colours within a song many know only from its radio success. Equally memorable was María Grever's What a Difference a Day Makes, forever associated in jazz circles with Dinah Washington, its elegant swing perfectly suited to Masters' understated style.
Special mention must go to Freddie Gavita, whose appearances throughout the evening added another dimension to the music. Whether delivering lyrical solos or weaving delicate obligatos around Masters' vocals, his trumpet playing was consistently tasteful and beautifully judged. The affectionate humour between the pair—Masters constantly teasing him whenever he disappeared backstage between numbers—became another delightful thread running through the evening.
Cian Boylan deserves enormous credit, not simply as Dana Masters' accompanist but as the musical architect behind much of what we heard. Masters repeatedly acknowledged his work as arranger, and it quickly became obvious why. He possesses the rare ability to hear not simply what a song is, but what it could become. Whether reshaping Jude Johnson's So Easy To Forget into one of the emotional high points of the evening or providing the understated framework that allowed Masters' storytelling to flourish, Boylan demonstrated impeccable musical judgement throughout. His piano playing was elegant, spacious and never overplayed, while his arrangements constantly found fresh ways of allowing familiar material to breathe. The partnership between the two has clearly evolved into something far greater than singer and accompanist; it is a genuine musical collaboration.
Closing with Here's To Life was inspired. Artie Butler and Phyllis Molinary wrote one of the great modern standards, but it is Shirley Horn's deeply personal interpretation that has become the benchmark against which all others are measured. Horn approached the song almost as a whispered conversation, allowing every syllable time to settle. Masters wisely resisted the temptation to imitate her. Instead, she made the song entirely her own. Supported by Boylan's exquisitely judged arrangement and beautifully spacious piano accompaniment, her phrasing was immaculate. Every pause carried meaning, every lyric landed with complete conviction and every note felt earned.
More importantly, she held the room completely in the palm of her hand. Upstairs at Ronnie Scott's can sometimes resemble a bustling cocktail lounge, yet for those precious closing minutes you could almost hear the gentle hum of the air conditioning. Glasses stopped clinking, conversations disappeared and every eye remained fixed on the stage. It was a masterclass in communication.
Some performances entertain. Others
linger long after the final applause. Dana Masters' return to Upstairs at
Ronnie Scott's firmly belonged in the latter category. It was a celebration of
exceptional songs, intelligent arrangements, outstanding musicianship and,
above all, an artist who understands that the most powerful performances begin
not with the voice, but with a genuine connection to the people sitting just a
few feet away. Glenn Wright
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