By Peter Maddern
Areti and her team have been rapidly increasing their local profile since this reviewer first saw them at Nexus a few years back. While also popular then, now her shows are becoming somewhat ‘must see’ events with last year’s Sessions show drawing rave plaudits.
This rise in popularity has not been just about greater profile but the quality of the productions.
This year’s Sessions show featured dim, rear lighting that certainly evoked that sense of dusk; the dancers coming out onto the street after a hot day – whether it was perhaps overdone for the whole two hours is another question.
The first half highlight was Rosalie Cocchiaro’s Solea por Bulerias, a delightful performance in a black dress that made maximum of the available stage. In the second, we were blessed with many treasures, opening with Guajiras with Abanico by Catherines Smith and Ziersch with Bree Bennett, the three dancers in flowing white dresses and armed only with a red fan.
The sole male dancer Tomas Arroquero delivered his solo work with as much control as flair before Areti, herself, brought us home in her trademark red dress and Solea producing some dazzling changes of tempo that only underscored her consummate skill and ability to infuse her dancing with passion that is felt all the way up in the balcony.
Of course, all this is only possible with the dedicated guitar work of Werner Neumann and Kieren Ray (who also blessed us with some solo pieces) and the searing and searching voice of Antonio Soria whose propensity to make time is a marvel in and of itself.
Vincent’s Chair is somewhat of a different experience, the local group led by the mightily purposeful Kathie Renner who writes and leads the vocals for this five person group (including & plus friends) with looks that reminds one of Mia Farrow.
The music could go by any number of descriptors including soft rock, folk, R&B but one’s eyes do not need to be closed for long for Renner’s voice to warmly remind one of Joni Mitchell, perhaps wrapped in a luscious Adelaide Hills Pinot Grigio. Songs came from their previous albums and the most recent, New Vibe, with the title song a lovely poke at the pretentious who value themselves by their joint visibility with the next big thing.
The highlight, for me at least, was the first track off that new album, He said, She said, sung with local girl but now London jazz favourite Anita Waddell, with only a modest amount of her signature scat sound involved.
Mellow indeed, Vincent’s Chair can be listened to anytime and anywhere as I am now as I write this.
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