Certainly adhering to it’s name, Todd Gordon and a multitude of talented musicians played well into the night.
Situated in Le Monde’s sultry upstairs Dirty Martini bar and as a continuation of it’s British Vocal Jazz Festival, host and smooth singer Todd Gordon took to the stage with a plethora of friends, including the superb stock band of BBC Big Band drummer Tom Gordon, pianist David Patrick and German bassist Martin Zenker.
Opening with a slightly anxious rendition of ‘Let’s Fall in Love’, the performers and music only grew from strength to strength in the mellow and swinging atmosphere. First guest star, trombonist Chris Reeves, wowed the audience with both his tender playing and bright orange jacket. His solo in ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’ was ultimate cool. Niki King made a reappearance from her previous show looking sublime in a green sequinned gown.
Todd Gordon has a list of friends far longer than his arm. Next up was James Tormé, son of Mel, whose energetic ‘It Don’t Mean A Thing’ had the audience thundering with applause. Matt Lewis’ ‘Nature Boy’ was a chance for each band member to have their solo break and what a show that was.
Todd Gordon did eventually return to get the audience involved with a finger- snapping ‘I Love Paris’ and a lively ‘Goody Goody’. As 2am approached, neither talent nor great music began to wane. Need somewhere to spend your hours after dark? This is the place to be.
