Last year the Black Voices Quintet packed out the Camden’s ever popular Jazz Café with a tribute to the soulful stylings of Nina Simone. This year, building on that success, they have picked another female jazz icon to frame an evening around. Their timing in selecting Billie Holiday, born 103 years ago to the day, was apposite. Not a landmark birthday but it certainly added a sense of purpose to the evening and , as the MC pointed out, although she died before most of the audience that night were themselves born, their very presence was testament to the lasting legacy of her work.

The quintet looked amazing. Dressed in pearls and elbow-length gloves, they were the very picture of elegance. Three even wore white lilies in their hair, Holiday’s famous trademark.

The set opened with some of Holiday’s most heartfelt ballads, Good Morning Heartache, Hush Now and In My Solitude, all of which set the tone for a night of slow-paced, sassy and defiant tunes. This left no space for some of my favourite Holiday tunes like the up tempo What A Little Moonlight Can Do, and as a consequence the evening felt a touch monochromatic.

The saving grace was the quintet’s refusal to attempt any impersonation of Holiday, whose vocal range was famously limited. On Old Devil Called Love they openly referenced the Alison Moyet version as their inspiration. Instead they took Holiday’s songs and delivered them with a luscious dexterity more akin to Sara Vaughn, with rich and at times even operatic interpretations. As Time Goes By was performed in an exciting, pulsating 6/4 rhythm, and the scat singing on I Loves You Porgy drew spontaneous rounds of applause from the audience for its raw emotion and musicality.

Most of the numbers were performed solo, with a few duets, so when all five women took to the stage for Ain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do, accompanied by the MC and a couple of support singers, there was a real sense of lift and anticipation in the air. Large swathes of the crowd took out their phones to film, and in doing so captured what was possibly the highlight of the night. It would have been lovely to have seen the lines shared more evenly across the line up, and more adventurous harmonies introduced, but the slight alterations in the melody made it a memorable rendition.

There was an unnecessary interval half way which let the energy drop, but the band (drum, bass and keys) quickly re-established it with instrumental versions of Just The Way You Look Tonight and Autumn in New York. Then the quintet returned to show off their true forte: a cappella singing. On Snap Your Fingers they amazed and astounded as they twisted their voices into a human jazz band, demonstrating why they earned the title of Europe’s finest all female quintet.

Vivacious, confident and strong, Black Voices successfully recontextualised Holiday’s back catalogue. They mitigated the nerves we might have today about celebrating lyrics which condone domestic violence and abusive relationships by deftly reframing our focus on the more potent target: the truth, rawness and emotional intensity of the woman who made the songs a permanent part of our musical landscape. They hinted Aretha Franklin is next in their sights. I predict another packed house.

Set List

Good Morning Heartache
Hush Now
In My Solitude
The End of a Long Affair
As Time Goes By
Old Devil Called Love
Ain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do
Can’t Take That Away From Me
Snap Your Hands
Just the way you look tonight
Autumn in New York
Strange fruit
God Bless the Child
Body and Soul
I loves you Porgy
If you treat me right
Lady sings the blues

Review by Alex Williams

For a list of future events hosted at the Jazz Cafe, please click HERE