| 05 August 2010
It takes a mighty brave lady to musically commemorate the legendary Lady Day fifty years after her death; but then Niki King does not seem the type to shy away from a challenge. From the moment King kicked off her set with Lover, Come Back to Me, the natural and intense connection between herself and the audience, which varied from the chin-stroking jazz cognoscenti to hip-hop styled urbanistas, was palpable. In fact, one man was so lost in her heart-felt rendition of My Man that he was literally moved to tears.
With a voice that makes strong men weak and poets reach for their pen, we were led skilfully through a journey of carefully selected and beautifully executed numbers, with King providing a little bit of history in her introductions to pay homage to the Lady herself.
Her delicate phrasing and melt-in-your-ear lines hypnotised us through numbers such as Strange Fruit, whilst her bluesy rendition of Tell Me More had both young and old nodding their heads and gawping as she belted out the high notes, leading me to wonder how it is physiologically possible for such a tiny, elegant frame to contain such a monumentally massive voice.
Although note-perfect with a range that would intimidate the Himalayas, it is not her undeniable technical ability that manages to engage with fresh-faced hipsters and the die-hard jazzers - it’s the soulful honesty of her performance.
It therefore seems only appropriate that Billie Holiday, an artist renowned for baring her heart in every note, should be remembered and brought back to life through King’s open-book approach on stage. And only right that Niki King receives every one of her well-earned five stars.
The Hub, 3 August, 8pm
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