Curtis Stigers, The Concorde Club (From Daily Echo)

Curtis Stigers, The Concorde Club

12:35pm Monday 2nd April 2012 in Music Reviews By Duncan Eaton

WHEN he came on stage it felt as if someone had upped the wattage on the bulbs.

It is how the Wall Street Journal once reviewed the performance of American singer/saxophonist and songwriter Curtis Stigers.

Born in Boise, Idaho, 46-year-old Stigers is recognised as one of the world’s leading jazz singers.

Tickets were sold out weeks ago for his Eastleigh debut. He won a new army of fans when millions watched his duet with former GMTV presenter Penny Smith in the TV reality singing contest, Just the Two of Us.

Backed by a talented band of musicians, who learned their trade on the famed New York City jazz club circuit, Stigers delivered an intoxicating cocktail of jazz and blues to a packed Concorde.

He opened his first set with blues classic That’s Alright Mama and between vocals gave a masterclass on playing saxophone.

They may be hits from yesteryear but I Wonder Why and You’re All That Matters To Me are still sweet to the ear and delivered straight from the heart.

The American jazz star introduced many of his numbers from his playlist by referring to them as sad songs.

But there were many happy faces as Stigers rounded off a memorable night of jazz and blues.