A complete one off evening, special, a ‘hot ticket date’ with this young West Midlands lass. We, my daughter and I, went to the second late evening show out of the two. We queued, we bagged our spot, sight straight down Jorja’s smoking barrel, and boy was she ‘Smokin’! All night long.

I first tripped over her sultry tones on Jools’ show just under a year ago. OK, I was musically smitten, I own up. Tonight was worth every penny as I had to resort to the good old resale sites, such was the H O T - ness of the ticket, but fret not. Jorja and her 8-piece band were seriously on the money. Given the occasion, the steeped history of Ronnie’s, tonight was a perfect lesson in G R O O V E . Period. No sax, or brass section, there was no room, but I’m sure she’d have fitted them in if she could. But just keys, guitar, bass, drums, percussion, and BV’s x3 was more than enough. From first to last note the assembled felt the nuance; it came smeared in Jazz, with a hint of present day Soul; we nodded in tempo and failed to remain stationary, even yours truly.

Jorja is not the most stage ‘present’ performer, chat and intros are minimal, but she doesn’t need to be, her voice, her charisma carries her on the bow wave, unquestioned. Watch this one. Ronnie’s was the perfect place for her, for her voice, for her band, for us, for those there that night. Privileged is a word not used lightly, but we were, all of us.

For this writer they had ‘hair envy’ of the percussionist and as for “Clam on bass”? rubbing shoulders with him in the tiny underground corridors of Ronnie’s was the icing on his cake. Fabulous and N I C E.

This was a special show. You had to be there to understand, to breath in the smoke, no mirrors, it was palpable and full of promise. Bless ya Jorja Smith.

©️ Trev Turley
Enlightenment The BLOG