Melody Gardot

Melody Gardot took the stage quietly but with an air of authority, As the audience grew silent she stood in front of the mike and began to click her fingers like a fifties beat poet. She sang a capella with that whispered yet strident edge to her voice. After the first verse she whispered 'Help me out here' and the audience began to click in time with her and by the end of that first number, 'Sweet Memory’, she owned the audience – half loving her music and half just loving being in thrall to her personality.

For the next hour the audience at the Bloomsbury was treated to a bravura performance from a young lady and a band that were absolutely at the peak of their game. The music was exceptional, the band playing slow and cool but the star turn was from a singer who possesses a subtle and sexy voice and a way of slinking around the stage that keeps all eyes on her, even when she is giving the attention to her band. She played piano and acoustic guitar but it was her voice that was a real weapon as well as her sense of humour which was gentle and more than a little quirky.

We were treated to originals like 'Worrisome Heart’ and 'Goodnight’ as well as jazz standards like 'Funny Valentine’ and 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow’ as well as a wonderful version of Bill Withers 'Ain’t no Sunshine’ but always to the Melody Gardot version. As a musician she is very talented but most of the audience would have been happy to listen to an hour of her voice on its own. Mesmerising.