Vocalist China Moses, pianist Raphael Lemonnier with Fabien Markoz on
Upright bass and Jean-Pierre Derouard on drums were top-flight, accomplished
professional Jazz musicians who delighted us with a deeply fulfilling programme
of jazz.
We have to thank fate for bringing together Soul and R&B singer and
MTV presenter China Moses with Jazz pianist Raphael Lemonnier, who through
their shared interest in the music of Dinah Washington, collaborated and
created this brilliant show which brings to life the music of the ‘Queen of the Blues’, Dinah Washington.
China Moses has an endearing stage presence and her stage-craft is practised, polished and amusing;
livening up the music with humorous, and almost gossipy insights into the life
and personality of Dinah Washington - and though her singing is very different
from Dinah Washington’s - she conveyed a very good idea of the times, and the
music of the Queen of the Blues.
China Moses is a bluesy-timbered contralto
with a high voltage, malleable voice - a versatile instrument - alternately
muscular, punchy and incisive, and then soft, smooth and refined. She can sock
it to the audience with a powerful swing, drive and clear delivery, and intersperse
these soul-diva eruptions with her voice modulated to caress and coax - in response to the feeling of the song.
All the songs were delivered with assurance. Every word enunciated with clarity
and finesse. She is an outstanding Jazz singer; she sings with emotion, she
swings and she interprets songs with feeling - of which every nuance is
conveyed to the audience.
Raphael Lemonnier on piano was a perfect accompanist and creative
soloist. Precise, intelligent and musical; complementing
and supplementing the song with faultless modulation, dynamics and rhythmic
variations. He played fluently and elegantly, playing in all the Jazz styles ‘swing’,
‘cool’, ‘bebop’… and whatever, and when the occasion arose, like a real
thumping blues pianist.
It was a
controlled and professional performance by fine musicians.
The most memorable of the songs was ‘Cry Me A
River’, which was sung with such feeling and emotional intent that the singer had
to spend time after the song wiping her eyes, the emotion of the song was
picked up by the audience with complete empathy.
China
was clearly in her element when she sang the blues, especially the up-tempo,
rambunctious blues like ‘Fat Daddy’ and ‘Evil Gal Blues’ which she dedicated respectively to the
overweight men in the room and to the all the women in the room respectively.
Her own blues ‘Dinah’s Blues’, for which she wrote the words to music composed
and arranged by Raphael Lemonnier, was a tour-de-force of the blues, where the
song is taken through its paces, in all its ups and downs; one of the most
complete blues in content and variation. A treat to the ear!
Amongst the songs which were sung with such great feeling and a
wonderful jazz sensibility, was, ‘What a Difference a Day
made’ which was sung with great sensitivity. Other beautifully rendered songs
were ‘Is You Is or Is You Aint My Baby’, ‘Mad About The Boy’ and ‘Good bye’.
Listening to a
professional band of great musicians, being treated to a couple of great bass
solos by Fabien Markoz, who was versatile, playing both jazz and blues songs
with the appropriate bass accompaniment, and playing his solos with finesse and
creativeness, his double bass sound a
pleasure to hear.
And Jean-Pierre Derouard on drums, with an always-mischievous- smile,
was a steady accompanist. During his drum solo, all the musicians walked off
the stage leaving him in the spotlight. His mischief and humour was exposed to
all during his solo, where he showed that he is more than a subtle and
sympathetic accompanist. He could really belt it out, beating the hell out of
the skins, making the drums talk. Shifting rhythms and patterns at will.
Another great performance!
It was great evening and we are glad that China Moses, MTV presenter and
soul singer, who likes the music of Beyonce and Mary J. Blige, decided to move from hip hop and soul and R&B to
Jazz. Jazz has gained a new rising star.
The evening ended with Raphael playing Happy Birthday. It was China
Moses birthday, and it was a day that we were all glad that she was born on –
to entertain us. What a lovely day. A day later or early would not have been
the same. What A Difference A Day Made!
For Hyderabad Western Music Foundation - 9th January 2010
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