In the elegant but intimate surroundings of
The Localist we were shown to our seats for an evening of dinner and jazz with Richard Hadfield. Seated in a cosy corner with a great view of the entertainment, Hadfield welcomed us on this quiet night at the end of August, “I could be singing in my own front room" he observed with a smile.
The one time Collabro singer who’s equally at home with a big band was tonight accompanied by a double bass and keyboard for Jazz Tuesday at The Localist, his residency for August which will be extended through the winter if they’ve got any sense. His set swings smoothly between jazz standards, pop hits and musical theatre, with some highly original arrangements.
I could have danced all night from My Fair Lady, sat alongside, Ella Fiitzgerald’s ‘Bewitched bothered and bewildered’ and Calvin Harris’s ‘How Deep is Your Love’. It was immediately clear that Hadfield is a relaxed, comfortable performer, his quips and jibes subtly and smoothly entertaining as we enjoyed a three course meal.
Which brings to me to the excellent bottle of Sancerre and the delicious starter, fried mozzarella with guacamole and sweet chilli sauce (to die for). Very healthy portion sizes, well not exactly healthy but, big. I was feeling quite at home at The Localist even before I was a offer ‘burger gloves’ for my brisket ensamble, an absolute genius idea! I slipped on my black rubber gloves and performed the burger eating operation without getting a drop on my fingers or up my sleeve. Why hasn’t anyone else thought of this?
Musical stand out moments included ‘Don't Mean A Thing If You Ain't Got That Swing’, ‘Fly Me To The Moon’ and a lovely arrangement of 'I've Never Been In Love Before' by Chet Baker. The vocal charm that saw Hadley & Co win Britain's Got Talent final was certainly in evidence tonight and afterwards he happily mingled with the lucky few.
Jazz Tuesday's are surely set to return with Richard Hadfield at the helm. A most relaxed and pleasant evening with 5 star service at 3 star prices. We loved every moment, I'm sure you will too.
Contacts:
twitter.com/RichardHadderz thelocalist.london facebook.com/thelocalistlondon twitter.com/The__Localist