This was a relaxing evening listening to top class music exquisitely delivered by Alicia and her band.
For the second time in three days my wife and I took the risk of going to see somebody perform who we knew very little about. Once again our trip was well worthwhile.
Alicia sang songs written for performers across many genres in a jazz style. Alicia is one of the best singers technically that I have ever seen and it was a pleasure to watch her close up. Her tone, clarity, control and diction were exemplary and she made it look effortless. I recall Judy Collins singing a capella at Royal Albert Hall in the 1970’s and Alicia’s clarity and tone brought back that memory. It was perhaps fitting that Alicia’s encore was ‘Both Sides Now’ a hit for Judy Collins in the UK and the song that introduced me to the work of Joni Mitchell.
The show opened with a song which told the audience how happy Alicia was to be with us on the night. The two sets were based around Alicia’s last two albums ‘Intuition: Songs From The Mind of Women’ and Timeless. Amongst the songs sung were ‘Cherokee Louise’ a little performed Joni Mitchell song from Joni’s ‘Night Ride Home’ album, Sade’s ‘No Ordinary Love’, Michael Jackson’s ‘Human Nature’ and the closing song Tracy Chapman’s ‘Give Me One Reason’. Alicia included a song that one of her vocal students had written which had moved her when she first heard it and a song written by Angela Bofill both of which I had not heard anybody perform before.
Alicia is charismatic and made her audience feel appreciated and part of the performance, she got us to click our fingers to represent raindrops, when she sang one of her own compositions, and to sing some choruses on other songs.
Quite a few of the songs featured excellent piano solos from Robert Mitchell a member of an excellent band that also featured a six string bass and drums.
If you get the opportunity to see Alicia perform or to listen to her music, I would recommend that you take it.
Johns London Music Reviews 