Review: Stacey Kent (Cambridge, UK)

Subject: Review: Stacey Kent (Cambridge, UK)
From: Grab
Date: 24 May 05 - 01:31 PM

Not really folk. Not really blues. But I thought some people might contemplate going to see her. If you do, be warned. Don't.

Saw her at the Arts Theatre in Cambridge - SK and four musicians (piano, guitar, bass, sax). The pianist was pretty good. The less said about the others, the better: the guitarist was technically highly competent but soul-less; the bassist thought random notes were a good thing; and the sax player wouldn't shut up (which wouldn't have been so bad if he did anything interesting).

On top of that, SK really isn't a very good singer. She's got a minimal vocal range, and an equally minimal expressive range. And on top of that, her set was very poorly chosen. OK, I know she's just covered "The Trolley Song", but you have to be a pretty bad choice of material to want to perform it on stage. There was essentially no variety of types of song, or even much variety of rhythm.

Not that it was bad as such - no-one was out of time or out of tune. More accurately, it was blah. Had it been a reasonable semi-pro band playing in a restaurant, it would have been fine - bland background music you don't mind talking over it. To pay good money to sit through that though, forget it. We were thinking of leaving in the interval in the hope that it would improve in the second half, but sadly not.

If you want to do jazz, you're better going to see Jacqui Dankworth, who was also on in Cambridge not long ago, and who was very good indeed (in spite of some not-very-good self-written songs). Don't waste your money on Stacey Kent.

Graham.

Subject: RE: Review: Stacey Kent (Cambridge, UK)
From: breezy
Date: 24 May 05 - 02:01 PM

and her tits?

Subject: RE: Review: Stacey Kent (Cambridge, UK)
From: Rasener
Date: 24 May 05 - 02:04 PM

now now Breezy, down boy.

Subject: RE: Review: Stacey Kent (Cambridge, UK)
From: breezy
Date: 24 May 05 - 02:10 PM

Well, does she?

Subject: RE: Review: Stacey Kent (Cambridge, UK)
From: GUEST,Tunesmith
Date: 24 May 05 - 03:59 PM

Blinking Heck! Stacey sound fabulous on record - as do her backing musicians. Haven't seen her live.

Subject: RE: Review: Stacey Kent (Cambridge, UK)
From: fiddler
Date: 25 May 05 - 03:37 AM

B*LL*X

I've seen her live - Please rmember this is one persons view on one performance! Very strongly written too!

I caught her show a stroud a couple of years back one of the best Jazz singers I have come accross = absolutely brilliant - I can't say more.

After such an assasination as above I had to chip in I would suggest anyone with an interest in Jazz should see her, she is pretty permanently touring at present and has a web site if you fancy a listen.

http://www.staceykent.com/default.asp

From the site: -
'Stacey now boasts six best-selling albums, a string of awards, including the 2001 British Jazz Award and 2002 BBC Jazz Award for 'Best Vocalist,' and the 2004 Backstage Bistro Award, a fan base that enables her to sell out concert halls around the world, as well as a voice on BBC Radio 3, as presenter of Jazz Line Up.'
Andy

Subject: RE: Review: Stacey Kent (Cambridge, UK)
From: breezy
Date: 25 May 05 - 04:43 AM

but,

Subject: RE: Review: Stacey Kent (Cambridge, UK)
From: Grab
Date: 25 May 05 - 07:00 AM

Believe me, I could have been *much* stronger! ;-) Maybe she's done better performances elsewhere, but the Cambridge one wasn't up to scratch in any way.

Re minimal vocal range - I don't think she moved out of one octave for the whole show. That's acceptable for a good, expressive singer, but she wasn't. Soft songs were fine, but her voice never went above MP in the whole performance, so everything ended up being a soft song, just a faster or slower soft song. No edge at all, in any song; basically no dynamics in her singing; and every song she just followed the main melody line throughout with no real variation, improvisation or expression. And to be honest, her voice at Cambridge actually didn't sound like it'd take being pushed hard if she did try - it didn't have the depth for it. Not what I'd expect from a jazz singer, especially one who's supposed to be that good. I expect more from a jazz singer than "easy listening", which was what we got.

Don't know what the session musicians on the CDs were like (I've not heard any of her CDs, although my wife's got a couple), but her backing band in Cambridge was definitely nothing to write home about.

By all means, do go and see her on her current tour if you're a fan. If she's better at your place, then maybe she was having a bad day in Cambridge. Maybe on a good day she could even redeem her choice of songs. But on a bad day she'd be like she was in Cambridge - and since she's now officially a best-selling artist, tickets to her gigs are not cheap. If you're not a great fan and desperate to see her, make your decision accordingly.

Graham.