Concert Review: Jazz In November & Phoebe Rings November 5, 2020
Here at The 13th Floor we like to start our weekends early, so it was Thursday night and time for some live music.
We need go no further than St Kevin’s Arcade on K’Rd where both The Wine Cellar and Whammy had the goods.
First, the Wine Cellar and it’s time for Jazz In November. Sax man Jeff Henderson always puts together a swingin’ band and tonight is no exception.
Actually it was more hard bop than swing as Jeff and his crew reworked a few jazz standards. I stayed for the first set and was duly treated to a wicked version of I’m On Fire by that renown jazz cat Bruce Springsteen. Seriously, though, this version wailed as Jeff and JY Lee reworked the tune into something that was slow, low and creaky. The playing was inventive and expressive and out of this world.
Now over to Whammy Bar where Bonniesongs are about to take the stage. Front woman Bonnie Stewart comes to us from Ireland via Australia. She’s stuck in NZ and it’s our good fortune.
Before playing songs from her album, Energetic Mind, Bonnie and the band tried out a few new numbers and used them to shake off the dust of having not performed in a while.
It was a little wobbly but came together during Home when Bonnie commanded the stage herself and held the audience spellbound.
The brief set ended with Ice Cream with the singer trilling, “”I have vanilla..la, la, la”
Up next Phoebe Rings…the musical vehicle for Crystal Choi. The radiant blonde is joined by Simeon Kavanagh-Vincent (keys/guitar), Ben Locke (bass) and Alex Freer (drums).
Their dream-pop owes more than a little to Cocteau Twins who they covered and acknowledged. The new song at the end of the set proved that they could make some noise when they want to as well.
With all the craziness swirling around the world, Whammy/Wine Cellar was an oasis of beauty and sanity.
Marty Duda
Phoebe Rings setlist:
