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Sarah Murphy attends the AAF concert on 15 March of Jazz Sensation Cécile McLorin Salvant.


Cécile McLorin Salvant specialises in forgotten numbers, far from the standards we all know and listen to on repeat. It made for an evening of surprises, jumping between genres, showing the incredible range of her voice. I couldn’t help but feel like hers was a name I’d be hearing in years to come, it would be her record that I’d be playing during those late night jazz sessions in which you find comfort in the greats. 

The last half hour was where things really kicked off, as pianist Aaron Diehl left the stage we were treated to something a little different and it was a chance for bass player Paul Sikivie to bring things down a notch and for the extremely talented Kyle Poole on the drums to really show his versatility.

Diehl reappeared, taking a seat at the organ which stands high above the stage, an incredibly impressive move, if he didn’t have our attention before, he sure did now.

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It was an evening that drew in an older crowd, somewhat surprising, but then again had we found ourselves in a more intimate jazz bar setting I have a feeling the demographic (and her set)would have been different, the Town Hall does have a certain pull.

A passionate and at times playful performance, this was a great night out and something a little different for Auckland audiences.

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