At Koko, an early doors start lent Booker T. Jones’s latest London appearance an oddly devotional air; thanks are due to fellow reviewer Denise Lester for the last-minute ticket that made attendance possible. By the time I arrived, some five songs in, the 81-year-old had already settled the room into a reverent hush, easing through Roy Hawkins’ ‘The Thrill Is Gone’ with quiet authority. Slipping in at that point felt less like missing the start and more like entering mid Church service, the atmosphere already thick with concentration.

Jones, trim beneath a pork-pie hat, cut a quietly authoritative figure, his band attuned to every nuance. The set’s early stretch leaned into Soul’s reflective side, with a tender reading of Marvin Gaye’s ‘What's Going On’ that drew a warm, collective response. In the ornate Edwardian surroundings, the effect was intimate despite the full house; a reminder of how much space Jones leaves for feeling rather than flash.

This date, rescheduled from last Summer, formed part of Ace Records’ 50th anniversary celebrations, and the sense of occasion gradually loosened the set’s collar. Jones eventually swapped guitar for his natural home at the Hammond organ, pausing to ask, with a wry smile, “Does anybody like cricket?” The cue was enough. The band slipped into BBC Cricket’s iconic theme ‘Soul Limbo’, its familiar swing rippling through the crowd, before segueing into the unmistakable riff of 'Green Onions'. If the earlier numbers suggested contemplation, these were pure release: grooves as communal language, instantly understood.

The evening’s curfew, dictated by the venue’s club schedule, arrived abruptly. Lights up by 9.30pm felt jarringly prosaic after such easy transcendence. On the way out, a brief encounter with Chris Tappenden, who had been sketching both performance and architecture in pastel from the stairs, offered a fitting coda; another artist quietly documenting the moment. Even in departure, the sense lingered of having witnessed not just a performance, but a masterclass in restraint, soul and timing, delivered by one of the form’s defining architects.

Review and photos: Ivan De Mello
Thanks also to Chris Tappenden for his photo of him with Booker T!