You simply cannot take your eyes off Jessie Gordon. Dressed in glimmering, shimmering silver she is a mirrorball against to the darkness of the Ellington Jazz Club. Some musicians have wonderful voices. Others have wonderful stage presence. Jessie has both.
The Ellington Jazz Club is teeming with intimacy, the kind of venue where no detail is lost, where you can hear each gasp of awe from the table behind you, each shared and knowing look between the performers in front. It is a privilege to witness such seemingly effortless command of a room, to watch a performance so brilliant that time simply slips away and you become lost in the music.
‘Enjoy Yourself’ is a performance of songs perfectly curated by Jessie, a delicate assortment of music that will make you laugh, cry, and have more than your fair share of fun. Whilst the sheer strength and beauty of her voice is enough to satisfy even the harshest of critics, Jessie also uses clever lyricism to rewrite and modernise some classic Jazz pieces. Although ‘Enjoy Yourself’ has a setlist comprised of established Jazz songs, Jessie also performed one of her own original pieces, and left the audience coated in a moony silence.
Be warned – you will fall in love with Jessie and the band, comprised of Nick Abbey on double bass, Harry Mitchell on the grand piano, and Michael Perkins on the drums. Soon you will no longer feel like Jessie and the band are performers at some random FRINGEWORLD show, but that you are sharing an evening with some very talented old friends, and you will find yourself desperately hoping that this moment doesn’t have to end. Unfortunately, like all good things, the show must end, but luckily Jessie has two more FRINGEWORLD events that can help reignite that flame.
Towards the end of the show, Jessie picked up a flyer and told the audience she was going to do a little self-promotion. In response to this, one audience member enthusiastically shouted out, ‘but we already love you!’, a sentiment met with loud and passionate agreement amongst the audience.
The Fringe Festival is already over halfway through, so now is the time to get your tickets and ‘Enjoy yourself’ with Jessie Gordon (it’s later than you think).