Plink Plonk

Friday night, I was back at The Burdock for their Piano Fest. Unlike my previous visit, this one was more Jazz than pop. Chelsey Bennett was up first. With her tall frame, she could barely fit into the tiny space between the wall and the baby grand on Burdock's little stage. She played a mix of soul/jazz songs with both covers and originals. For her own compositions, she preferred prose-like lyrics. There were a fair bit of solos, which is not my favourite Jazz trope. The bass player kept the groove nice and tight instead of the obnoxious wankery you usually hear with 5-string basses, so that was nice.

Joanna Majoko's set was a mixed bag for me. She got a standing ovation at the end, which was deserved for her clean, clear singing voice. But the never-ending solos from her backing band were interminable. I might have gone into a fugue state at one point. She might be a "CD artist" for me, where the limitation of physical media keep tunes trim and efficient. But her exploration of the intersection of Jazz with her African heritage is an interesting mix.