Caius Jazz presents Ian Shaw and Polly Gibbons

14th November, 9pm in Caius Green Room. £3

[rating:5/5]

From the first song of the night, Ian Shaw’s sprightly piano-accompanied interpretation of Cole Porter’s “Get Out of Town”, I was reminded why Caius Jazz is by far my favourite music event in Cambridge. The BBC Jazz Award winner’s scat singing segued between birdlike warbling and broad showtune pizazz, bordering on the vulgar, all the while interspaced with patter about old records found in old houses and an imagined guitar solo. Fantastic.

The self confessed Maria Callas/Jamie Cullum soundalike, German supply teacher lookalike’s version of the theme from Baghdad Cafe wasn’t quite so well recieved- the bar was rammed full of people waiting restlessly to take their seats (not quite literally- the last stool/poufe/tabletop had been taken well before I had arrived at ten past nine)- but did give Shaw the chance to display his razor-sharp transition between chocolatey baritone and a driving falsetto.

At about ten Polly Gibbons appeared singing “I Thought About You” displaying a confidence of vocal style that reminded me at times of an Aretha Franklin reconding. She then sauntered through Jimmy Cliff’s “Many Rivers To Cross”, which made my companion for the night’s evening (She hadn’t appreciated Shaw’s attempts at audience participation at the outset); before embarking upon a peppy “Hallelujah, I Love Her So”. This was the most upbeat tune so far, with Gibbons frolicking through tightly grouped phrases and seeming to enjoy it immensely.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzBn-EFPhEk

In the final session with Gibbons, Shaw and the band, all excelled. The harmonies between the two singers were delicate- each voice complementing the other beautifully, and Mike Clowes on drums and Andy Robb on bass had a particularly memorable call and response sequence.

The night ended, rather brilliantly, with an exceptionally smutty take on the old Margie Day track “Take out Your False Teeth Daddy”. Gibbons and Shaw really came together with the House band- Tom Millar in particular shone on the keys at this point with an incredible melodic blues solo. It was a bit of a shame that we had to leave.