We have few jazz/swing vocalists here in Dubai, and few of those are male, so it's a treat to see one perform live. Among their ranks, Irish vocalist Ciaran Fox stands out for doing much justice to the genres. I had seen him perform once as part of The Fridge's Kalubela ensemble show, and the next time at a bustling "men's night" last season, so I scheduled an evening with a friend at The Gramercy in the DIFC to check out his regular Monday night gig in relative peace.
The Gramercy, with its wood screens, soft lighting, high ceiling and decoratively oxidized mirrors, is an appropriate venue for this kind of music. The stage area was also well-placed, and lit better that at some of the other venues I've been. I've actually been here a few times before, mainly for stand-up comedy.
Accompanied by prolific saxophone player Serik Iskakov, Fox reinterpreted various popular songs on request, throwing in some old standards of jazz, swing and blues. This gentleman has clearly trained his voice for his chosen genres, most noticeably the ability to hold a prolonged note. When he asked for more requests, I suggested "anything from Kalubela", and he obliged with Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off You". Iskakov took on another one of my requests - for Duke Ellington's "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)" - as a sax solo. And once he figured out that I was there for some old school, Fox belted a series of delightful jazz hits my way.
Multi-instrumentalist and singer Greg Jacobs was signed on by PizzaExpress UAE in Dubai's JLT community this season, so I invited a couple of friends to check out his Saturday night gig there. He was jamming with three other musicians, playing the piano during much of the first set, and the saxophone during much of the second.
While he was great with the sax, Jacobs was also a pretty good singer, and performed a pleasant and entertaining mix of classic jazz songs and modern hits. There were also a few good solos by him and the other musicians, who did well working together onstage.
Due to some emergency work spill-over, I could not attend my preferred night (Feb 14th, the all-pianist night) of Network Jazz Garden this DJF. I still made it to the last night, and had a good time of it. Lots of art to check out, lots of people milling around, and great venue at the Dubai Media City Amphitheatre. The first act, Gabriel Coburger's Quintet Jean-Paul from the Hamburg jazz scene, was not really my style, but others seemed to like their show. More to my liking was the last act, led by "sax-man" Jaared (by the way, the two A's in that name remind me of Bollywood's "auspicious" naming practices). A spontaneous, engaging chap with excellent form on the woodwind, his tunes are well worth a listen. And where else can you hear a composition entitled "No Nachos for Kittens"?
