Ingrid Lucia Sings Billie Holiday, Spiegeltent, Review

Submitted by Kay Smith on Wed, 19 Jul '17 8.38pm
Rating (out of 5)
3
Show details
Company
Ingrid Lucia
Production
Edinburgh International Jazz and Blues Festival
Performers
Ingrid Lucia (Vocals), Jasen Weaver (Bass), Shea Pierre (Piano), Gerald T Watkins (Drums, David L. Harris (Trombone)
Running time
60mins

Opening her tribute to singer Billie Holiday with the popular standard Summertime Ingrid Lucia emulated the jazz legend's low key warm and warbling tones.

She then tickled the fancy - just - of this largely white haired sixty something audience with "All of Me" inviting them to wiggle their hips with the person sitting next to them.

She made a misjudgment however with the patronising question about whether we knew the meaning of the phrase double entendre as she told a tale with sexual inferences. And she had little appeal with her version of "I'll Be Seeing You" so embedded has it been in British ears by war time "Forces Sweetheart" Dame Vera Lynn.

The soft swing of "Blue Moon" was a pleasing listen, however, as was "Mississipi River".

A counterfoil to Lucia's drawn out rhythms were virtuoso instrumentals from her young back-up band - David L Harris who lightly tripped through "Honeysuckle Rose" on his trombone, then onto a quiet bass solo by Jasen Weaver.

Skillful too were the piano instrumentals of Shea Pierre who at the age of only 25 years is still able to boast of twenty years of piano playing.

Ingrid Lucia Sings Billie Holiday is at the Rose Theatre on Thursday 20th July, 5.30pm