Claire Martin and Joe Stilgoe: It Might As Well Be Spring
Claire Martin and Joe Stilgoe
It Might As Well Be Spring
The Crazy Coqs, London, U.K., March 24, 2015
Reviewed by Mychelle Colleary for Cabaret Scenes
A bit of a confession… Going into this duo show, I’d never seen either of these two performers live. That said, based on videos and recordings, I did have some sense of these artists’ work: BBC Awarding winning Claire Martin called the “First Lady of English Jazz” is chic, erudite and contemporary; Joe Stilgoe is a clever and funny silver- toned crooner/songwriter heavily influenced by nostalgic eras of jazz, primarily 1940-50s swing. Both usually play with a complement of musicians, or at least a trio.
Whilst this may seem at first blush an odd paring, the result was an evening of audience-friendly unplugged elegance, an intimate and colloquial conversation between two skilled and seasoned professionals. They both seem to revel in the opportunity: Stilgoe chiding Martin for waving to members of audience she knew; she humorously acquiescing to the command to stop. Then, throughout the evening, Martin paid perfect attention to Stilgoe’s solo numbers, providing earnest, audible appreciation of a particularly inspired piano solo.
Stilgoe might have stolen the show with his dapper style and pithy humor, except for the fact that Martin’s voice of honey, warm chocolate and smoke is so pleasing, the audience was held spellbound every time she opened her mouth.
The evening opened with toe-tapping energizer: Charlie Parker’s “Billie’s Bounce,” much needed for the low-key Tuesday evening crowd. Familiar and unfamiliar tunes followed, each artist taking a turn, with a few duets and some lovely harmony thrown into the mix for good measure. The music selection and patter impeccably supported the sentiment of awakening from winter into spring. Given the show’s title, one would expect to hear Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “It Might As Well Be Spring.” Expectations were met and exceeded as the arrangement and execution incorporated deliciously unexpected nuances to this chestnut.
This show would have been good anywhere, but The Crazy Coqs, the slickly-run stunning jewel box of a room, exquisitely amplified the feel-good relaxed sophistication of the evening.
Category: Cabaret Reviews, London, London Cabaret Reviews, Regional
