Zara Macfarlane
Sweet Whispers
(Eternal Source Of Light)

GIL SCOTT HERON once poked fun at po-faced purists with his release But Is That Jazz? Heron was one of that generation who changed popular understanding of jazz just as had Davis and Coltrane, Gillespie and Parker before them. In the late ’60s and ’70s Jazz bled into other forms of popular music and while arguably it’s more broadly appreciated today, in a variety of forms, there are still those who mournfully proclaim “jazz is dead.”

Reggae, African beats, funk, soul, hip hop all co-exist with jazz as a unique expression of British black youth. Zara McFarlane is one of this joyous wave which forms a significant strain of jazz in the UK. Sons of Kemet, through to The Ezra Collective, Nubiya Garcia and Nubiyan Twist, have produced wonderful fusions. But they are all happy to be principally known as jazz.

As McFarlane glides onto the stage at the beautiful Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Doris Stoutzker theatre, she looks very different to the khaki’d, red beret’d, fierce revolutionary glaring out of the cover of her 2017 album Arise. Flowing evening gown and heels signal that MacFarlane is out to tie the knot of jazz heritage with the contemporary British scene. It’s worth noting however, that the Sweet Whispers album and tour are a “celebration” of Vaughan rather than one of the “tribute” acts which clog up the UK’s music venue arteries like hardened cholesterol.

The performance mostly follows the track listing on the album, with standards chosen from the breadth of Vaughan’s long career; Tenderly at the start, to one of the album highlights, her steel drum version of her ’80s Latin rhythmned classic, Obsession. Some original material woven in, and an unexpected treat, a jazz version of Police and Thieves. But the songs on the album are carefully chosen and Vaughan’s biggest hits eschewed in favour of Interlude, her version of Night in Tunisia, and September Song, performed with entrancing solos from her young trio. 

Alex Ho’s cool post bop keys were tuneful but rhythmic. Rio Kia offered mesmerising solos on bass and Will Cleasby’s idiosyncratic drums had me holding my breath. Similarly, perhaps impressed by McFarlane’s songwriting and production, her classic jazz voice may have been underrated, but was proudly on display tonight, scat singing to boot. 

McFarlane’s strong social conscience and some minor changes to the album’s line up veered the tone of the performance towards righteous anger as the show came to a conclusion. Dedicated to those suffering “from unfathomable atrocities across the world,” her own  emotive, hymn-like Sweet Whispers, which closes the album, was followed by another powerful Mcfarlane song Feed The Spirit. Last word went to Vaughan’s version of Inner City Blues, which provided a fine encore and mounting rage as MacFarlane spat out “makes me wanna holler” and “God knows where we’re heading.”

So, if you have any doubts, this album and tour confirm the authentic jazz heritage of Zara McFarlane, and rightly spotlight Sarah Vaughan, a jazz great too often in the shadows of Holliday and Fitzgerald.

On tour until May 17. For more information see: zaramcfarlane.com