It’s not every day you receive a phone call from Gregory Porter. And it’s not every day you’re invited to perform at the Royal Albert Hall. But when the offer of opening for one of the greatest living jazz singers at one of the world’s greatest concert halls came a-calling, Scottish songbird Georgia Cécile and her co-writer pianist Euan Stevenson understandably postponed the launch of their debut album Only The Lover Sings.

Fast forward several weeks, and hot-on-the-heels of a brace of career-defining gigs at the legendary Ronnie Scott’s and the prestigious opening of the London Jazz Festival, there was not a snowball’s chance in hell that the small matter of Storm Arwen was going to further delay their rescheduled launch which was met with not one but two well-deserved standing ovations from the appreciative audience of Edinburgh’s Queen’s Hall who included Stevenson’s children for whom one of the tracks was dedicated: Ever Burning Flame featuring a brief but tender solo from trombonist Michael Owers.

“It takes a village,” said the sultry Cécile in a sparkling red dress. Referring to the emotional support of family and friends, and the musical support of fellow artists including “the happiest man on the Scottish jazz scene” Konrad Wiszniewski who along with Owers and the terrific trumpeter Ryan Quigley formed a blistering horn section who were complimented by Conor Murray on bass and an equally excellent string quintet led by the vivacious violinist Seonaid Aitken.

Featuring ten original songs from her album which reached number three in the official UK jazz and blues chart, a moving performance of a new ballad about the love for good friends who are no longer around, and a number of tunes from influential artists including Duke Ellington’s Solitude, George and Ira Gershwin’s I Was Doing All Right and Irving Berlin’s Count Your Blessings, it’s fair to say that Cécile and Co lived up to her early promise to “blow your socks off”. Indeed, given the array of exquisite solos topped by drummer Max Popp’s blistering opening to Blue Is Just The Colour, a few simmets may have been tossed skywards too.

What really impressed though was the impeccable quality of the lyrics, melodies and arrangements which shared that timeless feeling associated with so many tunes from the Great American Songbook. From the waltzing The Month of May inspired by cinematic composers such as Marvin Hamlisch and Burt Bacharach; the emotionally-charged Bitter Sweet about the volatile relationship between Carol King and her former husband Gerry Goffin which contains the perilous lyric “When I kissed you / How I feared you”; and the closing lullaby Love The Stars You’re Under influenced by the poetic meter of Don McLean’s Starry Starry Night. The success of which confirms that the trajectory of Georgia Cécile’s star matches the title of her idol Gregory Porter’s latest album: Still Rising!

Peter Callaghan
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2 Comments

  1. Thanks Peter . Your review sums up exactly how magical Friday evening’s concert was. The exhilaration was tangible both in the performers and the audience. The positive mood just reverberated around the hall and as you say in your review Georgia was magnificent and her co-writer Euan Stevenson supported her so well throughout. The orchestra showcased the quality in Scottis Jazz at present.

  2. A wonderful evening. With Georgia, every word is clear. Not enough superlatives.

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