d1000040Brisbane is gaining a reputation as Australia’s Hot City for jazz and the laidback, stylish singing of talented Brisbane based vocalist Ingrid James adds cache’ to that claim.

At her November gig at the Stones, Ingrid was supported by Pat Marchisella on bass, Louise Denson on keyboard and guest American trumpeter, Paul Armstrong. The group held the audience in thrall from the first bars of an upbeat version of the Rogers and Hart classic “Where or When” to the final song, a wistful arrangement of the Beatles’ “And I love Him.”

Piano, bass and trumpet complemented each other wonderfully and provided Ingrid with a warm and ardent pad to launch from. The sets ranged over a variety of rhythms from swing, through bossa, samba and blues. Paul Armstrong paying a fleeting visit to Brisbane, easily settled into an engaging musical dialogue with Pat and Louise and by the end of the second set they were relating as a dynamic unit. Armstrong’s capacity for lyricism and tenderness was especially obvious in the ballads where his solos were rewarded by an equally exquisite response from Ingrid.

Songs about love were made for Ingrid to sing and sing them she did. Her versions of the Dietz/Schwartz moody composition “Alone Together,” Jobim’s gentle “Corcovado,” and Vince Jones’ subtle bitter-sweet, “My Ideal,” produced the kind of romantic milieu to stir the most recently bruised heart.

But for me it was Ingrid’s reading of Curtis Lewis’ enigmatic “All Night Long” which was the centrepiece of the gig. Her mellow love-wise opening line, “never felt the softness of his tender kiss……” created a lush mood one entered and never wanted to leave. At the same time the song showcased her high altitude range and substantial, sultry low register which is somewhere south of bliss.

Ingrid James is one of the few current performers of the jazz idiom who really cares and it shows. Her perfectionism is the key to why she is one of the best singers in the business and why, like Grange Hermitage she just gets better all the time. She projects sophistication and warmth and her music is just too intriguing to miss.

[Ingrid James’ latest CD “Essence” is due for release in February.
For more information go to www.ingridjames.com]

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Hash Varsani is the owner of The Jazz Directory, a network of sites related to jazz, travel and everything else he loves. He also runs a selection of jazz related sites including Jazz Club Jury, a jazz club and festival review site. Check out his Google+ Profile, to see what else he's up to...probably setting up another website from one of his many passions.

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