Gig review/ Elena Gilliam

BY NARENDRA KUSNUR 

Elena Gilliam/ Live with the George Gilliam Quintet 

Genre: Vocal jazz

Details; Tata Theatre, January 12

Rating: ****

In the middle of her concert at the Tata Theatre on January 12, American jazz vocalist Elena Gilliam brought back memories of the 1956 film The King And I, starring Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr. She sang 'Shall We Dance', a Richard Rodgers-Oscar Hammerstein II song from the movie, which is also the title track of her latest album.

Gilliam displayed perfect phrasing and marvellous expression as she sang, "Shall we dance, on a bright cloud of music, shall we fly?" Like all the songs she performed, it was an example of how a simple, soulful rendition can really create an impact on the audience. Even her scatting was done with remarkable control and finesse, never getting into the histrionics that many singers resort to. At one point, she even produced the sound of a trombone, and it sounded so natural.

Equally commendable was the performance of the band, led by guitarist George Gillam, her husband. There were some neat solos by saxophonist Edmund Velasco, and crisp and meticulous playing by pianist Richard Ihara. The upright bass by Robert Felix and drums by Ben Scholtz drove the rhythm section.

The 80-minute show took place without a break. The set list consisted of many standards, which the 600-odd people in the hall were familiar with. There were 'Cheek To Cheek', written by Irving Berlin, and Errol Garner's 'Misty'. For a bossa nova flavour, Antonio Carlos Jobim's 'Agua de Beber' was perfect. The hit 'Besame Mucho', by Mexican songwriter Consuelo Velazquez, drew in a huge applause.

'Send In The Clowns', written by the legendary Stephen Sondheim in the musical A Little Night Music, was rendered to a piano-and-voice arrangement. The Richard Rodgers tune 'The Sweetest Sounds' and the uptempo blues anthem 'Every Day I Have The Blues' were the other highlights.

In the encore, Gilliam sang the Artie Butler-Phyllis Molinary creation 'Here's To Life'. It left the audience on a high, with its lines, "So here's to life and every joy it brings, here's to life, to dreamers and their dreams".

In some of the original recordings, Gilliam had been backed by the Budapest Scoring Orchestra. The tunes were adapted fabulously by George Gillam's quintet. It was the singer's first performance in Mumbai, and she kept saying the audience was cool. The music, of course, provided a perfect start for their Sunday evening. One wishes some of Mumbai's jazz vocalists had been in the audience.



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