Dubbed as a ‘jazz, swing, blues and contemporary musical journey’, Come Fly With Me is an interesting melting pot of smooth tunes, light comical relief and cabaret. Main man, Jake Dennis, has a fluid, almost sensual voice, that lends itself well to the hit tunes of well-loved crooners Buble and Sinatra, and the three piece band was everything you would expect to see of an underground jazz band.
The uncomplicated sound of grand piano, double bass, drums and vocals made for light, easy Wednesday night listening. Kicking off the show rather predictably, with a cruisy rendition of Sinatra’s ‘Come Fly With Me’, the audience was then privy to a show full of songs from different genres, artists and decades – not without a series of cheesy segues and some light attempts at comedy. His audience engagement was good, but unfortunately he fell just slightly short of his comedic target.
Fittingly held in the lower bar at the Ellington Jazz Club, the cosy room was over packed with an interesting mix of punters from the get go. Three quarters of the crowd were left standing, or fetching stools from the bar upstairs, as the 10 or so tables were snapped up by the early comers and the space became a little uncomfortable. The experiences of those sitting down at a table – wine, cheese and friends and a little more space included – would be vastly different to the experience had whilst standing, as the mellow, lounge-style show most definitely lends itself to a casual dining setting as opposed to a ‘standing room only’ type of gig.
Come Fly With Me is a show that glides at low altitudes. It doesn’t have you sitting on the edge of your seat with bated breath, hanging for the next move, but his voice is worth hearing. Ensure you arrive early for a seat, to avoid having to get too cosy with the stranger in the audience next to you.
Come Fly With Me tonight, Thursday 12 February at The Ellington Jazz Club. Tickets available at www.fringeworld.com.au
Mon Ceccato
