Live Review: Ezereve - Ellington Jazz Club

The Ellington Jazz Club was full to the brim last Thursday as two local acts performed a charity concert for Child Rescue. Folk-influenced act Bedouin Sea started proceedings, commencing their 45-minute set with the two guitarists/vocalists harmonising over some quiet chords. Midway through this first song, the backing band kicked in and the night was off to a flying start. The band played a long but interesting set, with a great variety of songs – some with a rhythm section and some without. The act's acoustic songs are good, however the songs really came into their own when complemented by their talented backing band. Definitely a band to look out for.

During the interval between acts the venue became completely packed, with many punters keenly awaiting the performance from headliner Ezereve. It would be hard to follow an act like Bedouin Sea, but Ezereve gave a great effort, and it was obvious who the crowd was there to see. Ezereve has a great voice and a strong repertoire of songs, and the crowd seemed to really enjoy it. While Ezereve played a few covers, she seemed more comfortable performing her own material, and the crowd responded better to her originals. Similar to Bedouin Sea, Ezereve really benefits from her rhythm section – the extra instrumentation adds another dimension to the already well-formed songs. Although her set could have been shortened by a few songs, overall it was a great gig for a good cause.