Red Cat

People talk of Houston jazz as sparse.  Certainly there are plenty of venues that claim to host jazz, but mostly just weekly or so.  I found a local club that had closed and thankfully reopened near where we were staying and it was a lovely place, if the music on the Friday night was more R&B than bop but I dug it immensely.  Not a huge turnout, but comfy and nicely presented and fairly loud.  The trio of players seem to be a regular host band with changing front liner singers.  This night, Jenni P singing firmly, strong voiced, long range with that determined gospel sensibility that seems the essence of this style.  Not something I know of like this in Canberra or even Australia with this authenticity, although it's maybe around.  Just one set, like a concert, perhaps 90 mins, mostly without breaks, songs merging one into another as a virtual medley.  Just a few Christmas songs broken away from the pack - Have yourself a very merry Christmas was a lovely thing - and one jazz number, Summertime, done as a very slow, deep ballad.  But otherwise that alive trio with pentatonics and syncopations, simple chord structures, huge dynamics through lines and dividing sections, some synth solos (I love bendy synth solos) dirtying piano presence and coloured extensions, solid unrelenting drums, playful and powerful bass, mostly fingerstyle but occasional slap.  I looked for Jenni P on Spotify unsuccessfully but a couple we sat with said they'd booked her for their wedding. The beer was good, the music great, the cover charge modest although I'm still learning this US tipping business.  Whatever, a wonderful night out for some jazz-cum-R&B-cum-neoSoul.  Loved it.

Jennifer Powell (vocals) appeared as Jenni P at Red Cat Jazz Club, Houston TX, with the host band comprising Pierre Grijaliva (bass), Ronald Dorsey (drums) and Jorvan Butler (keys).