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14 Jul

Posted at 19:41h in Reviews
My summer so far has had a distinctly Iberian flavour with artists from the former Spanish and Portuguese Colonies delightfully colouring my musical landscape.  Thanks to the Barbican Centre’s Blaze and the Festival Brazil hosted by the Southbank centre this Aestival Latin exposure looks set to continue for the months to come. Keeping in step with this theme last Saturday 10 July, Brazilian Samba queen Mart’Nália took to the Queen Elizabeth Hall stage flanked by her airtight band and with a cornucopia of percussion instruments at her disposal (of which she made ample use).

25 Jun

Posted at 15:05h in Reviews
Despite how effortless and intrepid a musician at their best might be on a stage, don’t you sometimes just get the impression that they’re not quite being themselves? The short answer is yes, obviously - that is [for most] what makes a live performance worth watching. A parallel opposite, when it comes to Meshell Ndegeocello and her expansive show last Monday night at London’s Jazz Café not only did the pianist, bass player and singer seem almost too herself, it was as if the veil which usually exists between artist and general human being had been burnt like an effigy at a fundamentalist demonstration and tossed in the corner.

25 Mar

Posted at 18:14h in Reviews
With a full a black suit, a seriously seductive smile and a touch too much charm in his swagger, Minneapolis-born jazzy singer/songwriter José James looked more like he was about to go an expensive date than perform at London’s Jazz Café on Friday night. That said, with tickets going for £20 on the door, perhaps to the crowd it was an expensive date. Either that or this particular audience just happen to be unreasonably difficult to please. As Mr James licks his lips, looks down at the microphone, and then picks it up as if it were his women, the crowd barely responds. And even when he starts to sing one of the better songs on his recent album ‘Lay You Down’ there is still little reaction. It is a sparkling rendition too, free of ego and full of romance. The bass sumptuously straddling out of the speakers, while warm notes emerge from the keyboard, both playfully and almost prayerfully. To this the audience heats up a little while James continues to look confident and sing as if he could quite easily walk on water.

22 Mar

Posted at 11:30h in Reviews
Thursday night at Dingwall’s in Camden saw soulstress Rox Tataei play the London date of her first headlining UK tour.  It was a sold out show as hundreds of punters squeezed into the relatively cosy venue to watch one of 2010’s brightest rising stars, Rox having been tipped for greatness by everyone from the BBC to the Broadsheets. The supporting acts, Ghost Poet and Liam Bailey, were more than up to the task of opening such a prestigious show.  Both these artists are personal friends of Rox and come highly recommended for big things by the lady herself.  First up was the ever-so slightly eccentric Ghost Poet with his quirky musings over rock/Hip Hop rhythms.  He was swiftly followed by Liam and his acoustic trio.  Bailey is a revelation; an adroit songwriter with an appealing, scratchy Marley-esque vocal mixed in with phraseology and chord progressions reminiscent of Sam Cooke.  Something of an old soul, Bailey’s voice alone could tell a thousand stories without articulating a lyric. By the end of his blinding set he had the audience eating out of his hand and rightly so; he very nearly stole the limelight. However once Rox was on stage - all smoky almond eyes, scandalously red pout and looking like a petite 21st century Nefertiti - there was no question why so many have faith in this young lady’s abilities. 

19 Nov

Posted at 02:35h in Reviews
breakestra6 Breakestra, back for another European tour and back with their first album since 2005’s, are like sugar to ants for lovers of funk! They took it to funky town last night at Camden Locks Dingwalls - and although front man Mixmaster Wolf was not present due to apparent immigration issues, mastermind Miles Tackett lead the troop with his musicality and velvet soulful vocals.

07 Oct

Posted at 08:07h in Reviews
DanielMerriweather

Last night I got the chance to catch Aussie soul singer Danieal Merriweather during his multi-city tour in support of his debut album Love and War. I have already made my feelings known on the album, and I was eager to see what it would sound like live.

RoxBefore I get into a review of the show I just want to mention Daniel's support act, London based singer Rox. I was semi-familiar with her work through her myspace page, and have been keeping up to date with the progress on her upcoming debut, so when it was announced she was supporting I was more than a little excited. I arrived just as Rox was finishing up her opening song and the buzz in the crowd suggested she had done well. She then went into the song I'm most familiar with, 'Page Unfolds'. To say she killed it would be an understatement! The crowd were young, and so I expected them to not pay much attention to the non-headline acts (that seems to be what usually happens), however she had their full attention. She also sang 'I Don't Believe', the fantastic 'Rock Steady' which would have been THE perfect summer soundtrack, and finally 'Breakfast In Bed' which really had her belting it out. It's safe to say that she gained herself a fair few fans in Birmingham!

When Daniel took to the stage the crowd went wild, and it was obvious that he has become

28 May

Posted at 18:59h in Reviews

A determined audience can either make or destroy almost any artist at a live performance. But despite how essential this principle seems there are some musicians who either forget or just experience megalomaniac delusions of grandeur in which they laboriously pace up and down a...