Jennifer Kingwell was back at La Boheme, this time with a show to promote her next album, Faith to the Fire. As she entered, in a stunning outfit of sparkles and spikes, looking like a fantasy heroine who had just ridden in on a crystal dragon, she left no doubt that this was to be no ordinary concert. From the first number, she had the audience in the palm of her hand.
She is a classically trained pianist, and that certainly shows in her playing, but her interests are eclectic. On this occasion, though, she accompanied herself on an electronic keyboard and included sampling and looping, as well as some electronic manipulation on her vocals. She has a sensational ability to vary the timbre of her voice and her vocal technique to suit the lyrics and style of each song. She whispers, she roars, she growls, she sings sweetly, from sultry to sassy, to sensual, through a mix of ballads, cabaret numbers, rock tunes and more, and the audience loved it all. Anybody who has heard her perform with a conventional piano and no electronics will attest to the fact that, really, she doesn't need them, they just add another layer to what is already a superb performance.
Every number had a unique quality, and the variety was impressive, with the lyrics drawing on her own life and experiences, some comical, some poignant. She crosses genres without blinking, and you would very quickly find it a futile exercise if trying to work out who her influences are, as she has so many.
Kingwell is a multi-award-winning artist who is very well known around the Australian Fringe festivals and in cabaret circles. Although she insisted that the evening was not a cabaret show, it was, with clever patter and stories linking and introducing the songs. One suspects that she simply can't help herself. She is a born entertainer.
The Faith to the Fire album is still in production and will be released in a few months, so keep an eye out for the launch, and hurry to get a copy as soon as it is available. It will be a great addition to her earlier EP, The Lotus Eaters, which I shall be reviewing after the madness of the Adelaide Festival and Adelaide Fringe has passed. Watch out for that.
Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Wednesday 14th March 2018.