Poejazzi at Proud

Poejazzi at Proud

04 November, 2009
by: Hollyw

My fear that a poetry and jazz night might be overly pretentious, or only patronised by achingly hip trendy types, is soon swept away at Poejazzi. This is a smallish crowd, in a barn-like space where the rafters drip colourful fake flowers, skeletons and tinsel. People lounge on sofas or sit cross-legged on the floor, and there's a warm atmosphere: whoever steps on to the small stage can be sure of a welcoming, open response.

Things kick off with some poetry, but this is no erudite pontificating. Tim Clare is funny. He's smart. His poetry and songs - he's a dab hand at the ukulele as well as having a way with words – are fresh and entertaining, whether taking swipes at middle class mores or comparing his love life to that of a video game character. Clare clearly has bags of confidence, and an energy that not only propels his poetry along at a cracking pace but ensures the crowd is caught up in it too.

Next up is jazz chanteuse Louise Golbey. She probably hears this all the time, so I do apologise Louise, but it comes as quite a shock when such a big voice comes out of such a petit person. Her smart-talking love songs are spun out with a voice that falls somewhere between Jaymay and Amy Winehouse (though Golbey seems infinitely nicer), all accompanied with some featherlight funk courtesy of her acoustic guitarist. With a style both smokily sultry and razor sharp, she's definitely one to watch.

A willingness to get involved seems crucial at this inclusive night - the next act, Kasai Masai, get the crowd on their feet with their upbeat African grooves. Like swallowing a spoonful of sunshine, they sweep us far from a grim Monday night in November with their wonderfully warm African drumming, ska-guitar and honey-toned harmonies. While the audience are happy to sing along, when they start teaching us dance moves it's a tad more awkward. I curse myself for being so bloody British that I can't swing my hips when fueled only by a single glass of wine, but somehow this smiley group do win us round, and soon everyone is clapping, toe-tapping and – heavens! – even gyrating our hips.

Benin City offer hip hop with a jazz edge, with sharply-spat lyrics, blasting sax and what looked like an electric cello, not to mention the furiously fast afrobeat provided by a very hardworking drummer. So far, so good, but this fusion works best when it's playful, and Benin City also have an unfortunate tendency for self-indulgence, with long saxophone solos accompanying speeches about how to make the world a better place. Whilst admirably heartfelt, ultimately these moments prove somewhat cringe-worthy.

Rounding off the evening's live entertainment – there are DJs till late – the 12 Tone Brass Band take to the stage. This six-piece outfit even sport an enormous sousaphone for a proper bit of oom-pah bass. Tight and bright, their mix of jazz, world and Latin styles thrum with African beats, and are delivered with considerable panache, even if proving a little too intense to make easy dancing music.

Most of these artists are, obviously, more jazz than poetry, and while the bringing together of the two is a grand plan, the event might work better if it was more evenly balanced. Nonetheless, that rhythm that both performance poetry and live music need, a pulsing heartbeat, runs through all the acts and pumps its way through the crowd too, who are a notably up for it bunch. If you go along, you're sure to feel the beat.

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Hollyw