Review in the Shetland Times today :-) :-) :-) The Bevvy Sisters Safe to say I’ve used a bit of hyperbole in my time. I’m sometimes a little effervescent in my praise for some of the acts that Shetland Jazz Club has brought to these isles, though most often such acclaim is richly deserved. However, the short tour by the Bevvy Sisters staged by Dave Hammond was an absolute inspiration. They played three gigs in different venues and each one was a little gem, each one most suited to its audience, each one a musical delight. The Friday night gig in Scalloway Hall was memorable for all sorts of reasons. The Bevvys charmed us with their relaxed manner and their consummate professionalism in the way they handled their material. It was an absolute joy to experience. This is a relatively new line-up of the group, with longtime vocalist Heather MacLeod and one-man band guitarist David Donnelly joining forces with celebrated jazz doyenne Gina Rae, daughter of bass playing legend Ronnie Rae, and a highly entertaining, banjo-wielding songstress impressively named Cera Impala. Although their chosen style is close harmony vocal, each of the group took on a lead role for several of the songs. Heather MacLeod was sublime in her rendition of Patsy Cline’s Three Cigarettes in an Ashtray, as achingly heartbroken a song as you are ever likely to hear. Gina Rae excelled in a song called Six Degrees (of Separation), not the one recorded by the Script, but a better one from a songwriting Scot, whose name I did not quite catch, but very good it is. And Cera Impala was featured in several low down dirty ditties, but was at her voodoo best on the exciting Junkyard Bands. Guitarist Donnelly is truly the musical backbone of the group, playing his guitar with a vigour worthy of an orchestra. He can invoke all manner of sounds from his instrument and each one is never less than perfection. This was a performance intended to make you feel good and it certainly achieved its objective. The Bevvys sell every song to maximum capacity and generate a spirit of well-being that is most exceptional for a musical group. Their rendition of the tragic Leadbelly song Bring a Little Water Sylvie was sheer brilliance, something akin to acapella nectar. The great excitement of the Scalloway show came when two terrific bursts of lightning blew the stage lights and the PA. Did that end the show? Certainly not. Our intrepid Bevvy quartet just came down off the stage and performed right in the middle of the audience. It was the sort of magic that had characterised their entire performance and it made a memorable night all the more so. The next night the performance was in the Islesburgh Centre and Sunday afternoon was in the Tingwall Hall. Both audiences were given the special Bevvy treatment and they obviously much appreciated what was being offered. In their show these talented songstresses mix huge portions of heartbreak, joviality, grit, fascination, glamour, sweetness and a heap of good old wholesome sassiness, all presented with a hefty dose of potent Scottish spirit. Their beautifully-harmonised, triple-layered voices and wide-ranging repertoire won fervent acclaim from all those who came to see them and who were left wanting more. Their banter with the audience is a joy to behold and would be the envy of most top class comedians. Just a word about the local acts who supported the Bevvy Sisters. At Scalloway on Friday Beef Cleaver played the first set. There’s not an easy way to describe this highly original group save to say they present a unique blend of dark, atmospheric soundscapes and quirky, expressive lyrics. They are admirers of American heavy metallers Down and usually play as a full metal band, but on the night they played an acoustic set, and none the worse for that. Vocalist Claire Marie sang with a powerful presence. Think of Nico in her Velvets days mixed with the powerhouse style of Grace Slick, floating around the stage like Sevie Nicks. Marjolein Robertson underpinned the whole thing on bass, Jamie Hatchbar and Peter Keay shared the guitar credits and contributed some lovely interplaying segments and well-crafted solos. Beef Cleaver played a most fascinating set, the highlights for me being an extended version of Black Island and the Jefferson Airplane classic White Rabbit. Definitely a band to watch. At Islesburgh on Saturday, Norman Willmore and Max Tyler entertained us with some superb jazz from their ever growing repertoire. The three other members of Troppo Funk arrived after fulfilling roles in another band supporting Stiff Little Whatnots at the Mareel. With a full compliment the band really took off. I’ve not heard them for a while and they really have come on a pace. Joe Watt strutted about the stage conjuring jagged notes from his guitar, whilst Stormin’ Norman huffed and puffed and often dragged notes screaming from his sax. Hayden Hook looked and sounded almost demonic on bass, but was a sheer delight to listen to, and Lewis Murray drove the all thing with aplomb from his drum chair. Their work-out on Chris Potter’s complex and difficult piece The Wheel was a pleasure to hear. Sadly, Troppo Funk will need to lay low for a while as some members go off to their deserved jazz studies at various European Conservatoires. Maybe they will be able to get together in holiday times and keep one of the best young bands that Shetland has seen in some sort of existence. What I found gratifying was how well the young people in the local bands interacted with the Bevvys. There was an obvious mutual admiration that reached full manifestation when Joe Watt, who supported on Saturday, came back to see the Bevvy Sisters again on Sunday - and brought his mum! Now that’s jazz. Jeff Merrifield
Posted on: Fri, 02 Aug 2013 13:58:54 +0000
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