This show was the third in a series of Judi Jackson ‘s monthly shows as Musician-In-Residence
My wife and I had first seen Judi perform in Cafe Society Swing at the Royal Theatre Stratford where she sang and acted inpressively.
The setting for the show was the Thames Foyer. The stage was in a gazebo with a marble floor. There were tables in front of the stage and a few at the sides and behind. The thin metal bars encasing the gazebo made it look like a giant birdcage.
Judi Jackson opened her first set with the African American spiritual ‘Sinnerman’ which was most famously recorded by Nina Simone. This was a stunning version which enabled Judi to display her full vocal ability, her voice has an extensive range coupled with subtlety and, at times, power. The songs for the remainder of the evening, I felt, were less vocally challenging but Judi was still able to impress and was not afraid to improvise and make old standards her own.
Most of the songs , if not all, were probably written before Judi was born and were played and sung in a jazz style. They included ‘It Had to be You’, ‘Feeling Good’ and ‘Here Comes The Sun’ with an infusion of ‘Lovely Day’.
The acoustics in the room were not brilliant, Judi and her band, featuring keybord, bass and drums sounded good but we both struggled to hear what Judi said, so as a result did not catch the band’s names.
Judi is a performer not just a singer, she made good use of the stage and the birdcage props and engaged with her band members and her audience.
Judi Jackson is a very talented lady with a bright future. I feel that she is only just starting out, she will conquer many vocal and performance challenges in future years.
Johns London Music Reviews 