The Cuban Quartet Band at Jazz 'N' Fizz

I had a couple more days than usual in Abu Dhabi last week, so I went for an overnight. And I cashed in the rain check for a visit to a place I had intended on visiting over 3 months ago: Jazz & Fizz.

After the sore disappointment that the so-called "Jazz" Club at the Abu Dhabi Hilton turned out to be, I walked into the Corniche Sofitel with low expectations.

If anything, the decor of the place was good.

To my delight, the resident band, called The Cuban Quartet Band, was actually quite good. They played some jazz tunes, a bit of bossa nova, a bit of funk, and a bit of classic R&B. I liked their harmony and their versatility; the singer could play the acoustic guitar, and the bassist and keyboardist also changed instruments as needed. The singer had a rich deep voice suited for jazz in both Spanish and English, although she needed a bit of instrumental cover for the high notes. If you want to catch the jazz and jazz-related genres, it would be best to get there early, assuming they keep up the pattern of lapsing into pop-ish genres later in the night.

I ended up with a very enjoyable night of jazz, with great wine and a REALLY good cheese platter. The Cuban Jazz Quartet is only around (as far as their current contract goes) until June 8th, so if you're in the capital, you need to arrange for a jazz evening at the Sofitel before then (Wed. - Sun. only).