Cafe Yukari Richmond

Review of Jazz on the Plaza - Renato D'Aiello

Not previously familiar with veteran saxman Renato D'A. but who couldn't warm to such a charming guy with a lovely full tone to his playing, not to mention the bonus of impeccable vocals on a couple of numbers ? Nice selection of standards, including Autumn Leaves (complete with the Cannonball Adderley intro), Jobim's Corcovado, Weaver of Dreams, Body and Soul, If I Should Lose You, Take The A Train and the more scarcely covered Portrait of Jenny. Lovely stuff on a horribly wet evening. Hardly any need to add that there was the guaranteed quality support from Terry Collie and Nick Lenner-Webster on bass.

Review of Jazz on the Plaza - Renato D'Aiello

Review of Dave O'Higgins - Jazz on the Plaza

Asking whether I would recommend a Dave O'Higgins gig is like asking whether I would like to receive a million pounds without any strings attached, so there's not really much to say. One of the foremost tenorists on the UK scene for many years now, with a lovely tone, great improvisational imagination and a thoroughly lovely, approachable bloke. Impeccable choice of numbers, including All Or Nothing At All, (Toots Thielemann's) Bluesette, (Henry Mancini's) Days Of Wine and Roses, Like Someone In Love, (The Duke's) In A Sentimental Mood, a couple of T. Monks (Epistrophy and Blue Monk) and slightly leftfield choices in (Billy Strayhorn's) Chelsea Bridge and (Wayne Shorter's) JuJu. Great stuff, and ably supported by T. Collie Esq on the Fazioli piano and diminutive but percussively dynamic Esther Ng on bass. Not surprisingly a number of punters snapped up Dave's latest cd !