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Description: The soul singer-songwriter performs tracks from her third album Secret Garden as well as tracks from her back catalogue.


Phone: 0207439 0747
Website: www.ronniescotts.co.uk
Email: ronniescotts@ronniescotts.co.uk

Trains: Tube: Leicester Square Overground network

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Natalie Williams benefits from legacy of Aretha

By Jack Massarik, Evening Standard  11.11.08
 
Natalie Williams

Natalie Williams: one of London’s most dynamic exponents of Franklin-based funk

Ronnie Scott’s has seen full houses every night recently, a reflection no doubt of the US presidential election result. The jazz world saw this as a rare victory not only for unrepresented minorities but also for non-racist white Americans who have always danced to a different drum, recognising black music as the best in the world.

Voters who love Aretha Franklin, for instance. Without her gospel-driven voice there would be no soul-music charts, maybe not even a Stevie Wonder, let alone the over-excited wannabees on X-Factor every week.

Natalie Williams, a leggy soubrette with a dazzling smile and plenty of passionate Hungarian blood, is one of London’s most dynamic exponents of Franklin-based funk. Depping at short notice for US keyboarder Lonnie Liston Smith, she was in storming form last night, soaring through Never Loved a Man (Like I Love You) and other jazz, blues, gospel and soul highlights of Aretha’s 20-Grammy-winning career.

You Send Me was a bow to balladeer Sam Cooke, and a later blues, I’d Druther Drink Muddy Water, featuring Al Cherry’s strangulated yet stinging guitar style, invoked Aretha’s early influence, Dinah Washington.

More, a brisk waltz that switched to glorious four-four, found Natalie scatting more like Ella, prompted by James Pearson’s typically propulsive piano, and while nobody has ever made Burt Bacharach sound as funky as Aretha did on I Say a Little Prayer for You, Natalie gave it her best shot.

Partisans, an edgy jazz-rock quartet starring tenorist Julian Siegel and guitarist Phil Robson, was not the ideal choice to complete this double bill. Their taut, stop-start music was the antithesis of funk and hard to embrace, despite the ever-growing technical skill and empathy of the co-leaders.

Tonight: Pianist Bill Evans Remembered (020 7439 0747).


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