Not ‘jazz’ any other night
For one Friday night at the Mandarin Oriental’s Captain’s Bar, one could be excused thinking one had been transported to Ronnie Scott’s in London or the Blue Note in New York City — both signature venues for the best in jazz music. The reason? Mishka Adams’ one night at the Mandarin, before flying back to
Much of the music that night was from her new CD, Space. It was an eye (and ear) opener to see just how accessible the music can be when performed live. On the CD, they come across as tone poems, meandering (in a good way) and something of a challenge to listen to. In a live setting, the compositions sparkled and really “swung”! The horn section of tenor saxophone, trombone and flugelhorn took over the parts played by John Hoare on the cornet on the CD, and that provided additional texture and variety. The rhythm section was subtle but persistent, and kudos to the keyboards for providing such strong support to the winsome vocal style of Mishka.
As a jazz vocalist, Mishka is not in your Ella Fitzgerald, Dinah
It’s the affable, non-assuming personality that wins the audience each time I catch Mishka. My ultimate highlight of the night was her version of Prelude to a Kiss. It was this mix of standards given the Mishka “touch,” and her own compositions which are more poetic and improvisational in nature, that made the night quite special, with something for everyone. It may be something of an esoteric field, jazz music, but here is a Filipino artist who knows her roots, and is making a name for herself abroad. I can’t wait for the next time she makes it back to our shores.
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