There was rapturous applause from the Sunday lunchtime audience at Ronnie Scott's for Alex Webb's 'Cafe Society Swing'. A very different show to that put on earlier in the week by Christian McBride's New Jawn, but no less entertaining.
The nightclub Cafe Society was one of New York's most iconic jazz clubs, operating from 1938 to 1949 and owned by the influential Barney Josephson. Pianist, composer and arranger Alex Webb has taken the story of the club and brought it to a 21st century audience with tunes and narration performed by a strong band of some of today's biggest names in jazz.
The wrong place for the right people
Often referred to as 'The wrong place for the right people', Cafe Society played host to musical talent like Lena Horne, Sarah Vaughan and - perhaps most significantly - Billie Holiday. Webb's script and arrangements combine to make his show a wonderful snapshot of some of those performances and the social context surrounding them.
The Sunday lunchtime audience of the right people was hugely appreciative of the musical talent on stage, as a reminder of the talent from 90 years ago. The individual performances on stage were entertaining and Ronnie's has always modelled itself on the smoky jazz clubs of a bygone era, so leaving into the afternoon light of London's Soho brought us all back to today with a start.
An untold story, told for today
Alex Webb is passionate about this "untold story" and his production has been seen by audiences in London and New York itself. Watch this space for news of when you might be able to enjoy it: for now, check out the Cafe Society Swing website.
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