Sector 7, 606 Club, Wednesday 23 March. Review by Fran Hardcastle.
A warm and friendly audience, replete with many jazz singers and musicians welcomed Sector 7 to the 606 stage on Wednesday night for their first gig. Sarah Ellen Hughes funky a capella arrangement of My Favourite Things got the evening off to an impressive start.
Hughes has put together a stellar young vocal line up. Emma Smith – at just 20 years old and still a student at the Royal Academy is a bold performer who can raise the hairs on the back of your neck with every note. Joining her is fellow Academy student, Kwabena Adjepong, possessing a spine-tinglingly rich voice. If you’re in tomorrow night, he will be appearing on your screens with NYJO on the new BBC2 show, ‘Goldie’s Band: By Royal Appointment’. Shakka Philip brings a different dimension to the group, with a powerful contemporary soul sound. If his original material is anything to go by, he’s likely to be climbing up the Brit pop ranks quite soon.
The quartet was supported by the exemplary musicianship of pianist George Moore, Ronnies regular bassist, Tim Thornton and drummer Andy Chapman.
The tasters of vibrant ensemble arrangements from Sarah Hughes and the display of each singers plentiful talents left the audience crying out for an encore. And that pretty much sums up the gig. More please.
