A century of jazz women

I'd booked this one on our side o town for an easy park for Mum and me.  We arrived to find a delightful casual but attractive bar with a generous outdoor space out back and what seemed like 1800s storehouses.  The wine bar was Ern Malley's with a copy of the classic painting and a claimed establishment date of 1943.  Sounds about right; another hoax?  But a lovely spot, dark and decorated.  This fringe show was Offbeat with the Molly Silvy quintet celebrating decades of female jazz singers from 1920-2020.  We arrived to chat with Molly's grandmother at the door then guitar and drums at the bar.  The band comprised students, ~second year of jazz degrees at the Con, Molly on vocals with guitar, tenor, bass and drums. Molly introduced various singers and interestingly, styles and techniques, and not just the obvious and not exactly each decade.  Ella and Esperanza (Spalding) were mentioned in the description.  Neither ended up on the program, but we did get some classics, some interpretations, a few female composers and daring choices, in all a fascinating outing.  No more blues / Carmen McCrae; These foolish things / Billie Holliday; Green Dolphin Street / Sarah Vaughan; all with intros and chatter of vocal ranges, twang, belt and cry, jazz vocal techniques.  And some more obscure finds: Bernie's tune / Tierney Sutton; Lawns / Carla Bley as influenced by Kristen Berardi; Colours of my dreams / Judy Bailey arranged with borrowings from Olivia Chindamo.  Then an encore which they didn't have ready, but an excellent choice: Centerpiece / Lambert, Hendricks and Ross.  It's still going round in my head.  Some nice, capable, informed, young playing.  Molly did an inviting job as the central expositor and I particularly noted Daniel on very fluent bass and Johnny on a responsive, subtle, aptly dissonant tenor.  The audio balance wasn't perfect but the respect and ongoing studiousness was clear and propitious.  A very promising next generation.  But it was not just the music and the fabulous bar setting and mild evening.  We met and chatted as one does at a jazz gig and happened to sit with a committee member of the Adelaide Jazz Club.  So small world; small venue.  And to end, I was not alone in praising bassist Daniel's recent haircut that looked all the world like early Paul McCartney: nothing better for a bassist!  Lovely night and well done by the  band.

Molly Silby (vocals) led her quintet with Johnny Turner (tenor), Hugo Evans (guitar), Daniel Cavallaro (bass) and Micah Capin (drums) at the Ern Malley Bar for the Adelaide Festival Fringe.