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Precious is a new-style weepie but one that is much more bracing than depressing
Precious
Theatre
Ian McKellen is captivating throughout. He delights in the play’s gallows humour, yet is also maudlin and poignant
Waiting for Godot
Theatre
Slight quibbles notwithstanding, this will set the West End’s stock riding high
Enron
Utterly, utterly brilliant. You really are in for a treat
Though 'Trilogy' has won rave reviews, I personally found myself exasperated after about an hour
We went on a quiet sunday evening and the food was excellent, but the experience let down by the service and ambiance
London,
Jack Massarik's rating
Reader rating
Description: The New Orleans vocalist plays jazz, soul and rhythm 'n' blues covers and original material.
Website: http://www.606club.co.uk
Born to do it: Lillian Boutte
Steve Rubie has been managing this basement club for more than 30 years and knows his stuff.
“Let’s please keep the noise down,” he murmured while introducing the star turn, “or, as my friend Ronnie Scott used to say, we’ll have to send Igor round with the genital clamps.”
A more realistic threat to last night’s customers were parking clamps, now active all the way to 10pm, even in Chelsea’s darkest back-streets. But in any case, nobody chats while the ebullient Lilian Boutté is onstage.
One of 11 children born to a New Orleans barber and his hairdresser wife, Lillian just had to be a natural entertainer. Applying her lively humour and warm, flexible voice to gospel, r’n’b and jazz, she toured everywhere from Brazil to Japan before marrying saxman Thomas L’Etienne and settling down in Hamburg. Not a surprising choice when one considers that German radio plays 300 hours of jazz per month to Britain’s 30.
Backed by a swinging quartet with two excellent soloists, pianist Tom Pilling and guitarist Denny Ilett, she delivered a sparkling set of standards (Embraceable You, Tennessee Waltz) and Louisiana favourites (Cry for Me, Farewell Storeyvillle and Lipstick Traces, an Allen Toussaint classic). My favourite was the Irma Thomas belter You Can Have my Husband but Please Don’t Mess With My Man.
Younger singers should queue up to experience her stagecraft and voicecraft the next time this pocket rocket hits town.
Details are correct at the time of publication - please check with venue before booking.
