There's a little part of Broughton Street Lane that, around seven of an evening this weather, becomes a New Orleans enclave in the form of Barefootin'.
Lillian Boutte is Crescent City to the core. Everything she sings has the tang of the music that came up through ragtime and marching bands on Rampart Street. Be it Robert Parker's popular dancing song that gives her show its name, the incorrigibly sassy You Got The Right Key But You're Working On The Wrong Keyhole or the - in many other hands - almost throwaway C'est Si Bon, Boutte infuses a song with doughty spirit, soulfulness and joie de vivre.
Her first house on Saturday didn't get off to the best of starts as her pianist, Tom Finlay's keyboard stand collapsed in a spectacular ending to his trio's introduction. This, though, was a minor hiccup for Boutte, who revelled in the closeness of her audience and instantly made friends with everyone in the room. A-Tisket A-Tasket allowed her to show her Ella-inspired, if now slightly careworn jazz chops and Strong Medicine's Nawlins' street beat found her revelling in some hometown voodoo. She could easily give a formal concert if she wanted to. Instead, she throws a high-quality party, paying homage to Etta James and Louis Armstrong, slowing things down with a potent bluesy swing and grooving back-up with high percentage-proof good-time elixir.
Run ends August 25
The intriguingly named guitar, bass and drums trio Thermal and a Quarter get the Merchants' Hall rocking with their brilliantly together instrumental work and much superbly realised rhythmic detail. Too bad, then, the settings on their guitarist's vocal mic make the lyrics of the otherwise well constructed Bangalore Rock songs all but unintelligible. Direct references to Kurt Cobain and John Coltrane and hints of the Jimmy Dewar-era Robin Trower Band and Steve Miller's liking for catchy ooh-aah choruses give some indication of the breadth of styles covered by a group who, with more time to sound check, would be well worth dropping in on for a listen.
Run ends August 26
Jyotsna Srikanth's Carnatic Nomad is the sort of gem that can slip through unnoticed at the Fringe since it isn't listed in the brochure. Part naturally imparted masterclass, part virtuosic performance in duo with a superbly attentive, responsive mridangam drummer, it is an absorbing demonstration of the South Indian violin tradition. In Carnatic culture the violin plays a repertoire normally the province of the voice and Srikanth certainly makes her instrument sing, with those trademark glissandi turning almost every note into a blue note. Her fabulous mesmerising improvisations and plunging depth of expression make Srikanth a musician not to miss next time she's in the area.
Run ended
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