Electric, eclectic and an eyeful of excited musos made this sell-out BJC Saturday night a most memorable gig.
Masks off – Musicians turned on… it was hard to believe that by the first song, I was checking my phone for the time. Surely Acts don’t get “in the groove” until perhaps the end of the 1st set or the start of the second?
Jake Meywes, backed by as close to a power based Jazz group as any international vocalist could ever dream of, took the dark night away from us and immediately gave back a stellar star-studded repertoire at the Brisbane Jazz Club on the river.
Can this guy sing? Oh yeah. Can this band play? Oh yeah, yet again.
Held together by an unrelentingly perfect timing duo of Phil Jack on 5 string Bass, and the versatile Aaron West on Drums – they allowed the piano, guitar and sax to work magic around some great Jazz standards and a couple of jazzy-fied pop hits.
With José McLaughlin on the BJC’s grand Piano, Robbie Karena on semi-acoustic Guitar, and Gary Mulholland on wailing Sax, they provided Jake with an unlimited smorgasbord to let loose and sing to us in whatever way he chose. And that he did!
Frank Sinatra talked about two of his memorable favourite Live events ever – one of them was Sinatra at the Sands with Count Basie and the Orchestra (1966). There was magic in the air.
Fast forward to January 2021, @BJC. Jake Meywes, Phil, Aaron, Robbie, Gary and José. A night that magic reappeared.
Stu Robertson
101FM Jazz Presenter