Aberjazz – Day 1 – Wonder Women
Jasmine Power… singer/songwriter Photo©Nigel Summerley
Fishguard’s Aberjazz festival kicked off with a full house at Peppers and two sets by two very different singers – both of whom were Jasmine Power.
Power’s first set showcased her considerable talents as singer/songwriter/pianist, with thoughtful lyrics, impressive playing and mellifluous voice. Her piano riffs are a cut well above the average, as are her vocals. There is no padding in her songs – every moment counts. And there are times when her voice takes wing over the music in a Joni Mitchell-esque way.
Like Joni, Jasmine is also a jazz woman – as she showed in her second set when she was joined by the magisterial Jay Azzolina on guitar for a succession of American Songbook standards. Together they breathed truly fresh life into hoary old chestnuts such as My Funny Valentine and Autumn Leaves – quite an achievement.
Jasmine Power… jazz singer Photo©Nigel Summerley
Ffwrn was also sold out for a double bill featuring Around About Dusk and Trwbadwr. The New Orleans-inspired sounds of the former were fronted by the feisty Rachel Lawrence, whose own songs were often darkly humorous but who excelled on blues belters by the likes of Memphis Minnie and Bessie Smith.
Around About Dusk at Ffwrn Photo©Nigel Summerley
Eight-piece Trwbadwr have built up a deservedly big following and an impressively big sound. Led by the assuredly multilingual vocals of Sarah Couch, their forte is latin dance music played with irresistible spirit. Every player here is an excellent musician in their own right, but they play for the song and for this winning musical team.
Trwbadwr at Ffwrn Photo©Nigel Summerley
The night ended at Peppers with a muscular jazz set from the Dominic Norcross Quartet. Norcross is a powerful player on both tenor and baritone and went all out with his musical attack, yet it was on the ballads that he excelled, particularly on a great reading of Georgia On My Mind. But it was singer Elaina Hoss who stole the show. She may have appeared diminutive in stature alongside these big jazz boys, but she was all voice, attitude and performance, and she played the club like it was something closer to a stadium.
What a day! And that was just the first of five. We’ll be covering them all here on Pembrokeshire.Online.
More information and tickets: www.aberjazz.com
Dominic Norcross and Elaina Hoss at Peppers Photo©Nigel Summerley
