by Laura Allen
CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The phrase "in the
pocket" is used by jazz musicians to describe music that's perfectly in
time. Singer Cyrille Aimee and guitarist Diego Figueiredo were certainly there
last night in a two-set show at Edgewood Country Club in Charleston. Their
performance was part of this season's Charleston Jazz Series lineup in
Charleston.
Aimee fell in love with they Gypsy community that
traveled through her hometown of Fountainbleu, France, and it shows in her set
list. With Figueiredo, a Brazilian guitarist, alongside providing sure-footed
and sometimes spectacular support, Aimee took an appreciative crowd to France,
Brazil and back to America throughout the evening.
She also used the loop pedal, a device that allows an
artist to record and play themselves back almost instantly, creating layers of
sound not possible otherwise. John Fogerty's "Fortunate Son" in the
hands of Aimee and a loop pedal became a thoughtful, almost playful take on a
song written originally to protest the Vietnam War.
The loop pedal re-appeared in the second set in a
skillful arrangement and performance of Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be
Happy."
On a few occasions, Aimee left the stage and
Figueiredo performed solo guitar arrangements of a couple of traditional
Brazilian tunes. His ability to stretch and press the timing of phrases without
losing the beat were the mark of a confident and extremely proficient musician.
He's the kind of player that puts you on the edge of your chair to see what's
going to happen next.
Together, the two have a connection that was plain fun
to watch. An arrangement of West Virginia Music Hall of Fame inductee Bill
Withers' "Just the Two of Us" was an audience favorite, with good
reason. Figueiredo's finger picking was on point and Aimee's vocal floated
above it. A time-signature switch in the bridge of the tune was a nice turn for
the ear.
Aimee introduced tenor saxophonist Warren Walker for
several songs during the evening. It's easy for a saxophone to overpower a
singer, but that did not happen. After a few rough notes in "Bye Bye
Blackbird" in the opening set, the trio settled in for some great music in
the second set.
During an arrangement of "Tea for Two," the
trio slipped into a groove that was a perfect musical moment. They could have
played all night at that point -- and nobody would have cared to sit for 12
hours straight.
That's the sign of a good show. When it ends, you
still want more and the time you spend listening flies by. That was certainly the case Friday night. -
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