Review: COME IN SPINNER: THE CONCERT – ADELAIDE CABARET FESTIVAL 2023 at Adelaide Festival Theatre, Adelaide Festival Centre

Reviewed by Barry Lenny, Sunday 11th June 2023.

Come in Spinner: The Concert has three-time Aria Award winner, Vince Jones, presenting the songs from the double-platinum album of music from the 1989/90 ABC television series, Come in Spinner, which he recorded with Grace Knight. For this concert, he is joined by Nina Ferro, with Musical Director, Matthew McMahon, at the piano, and arranger, Steve Newcomb, conducting the orchestra.

The ABC series was based on the 1951 novel by Dymphna Cusack and Florence James concerning three women working in the beauty salon of a Sydney hotel at the end of the Second World War. The title comes from the Australian gambling game of two-up, in which two coins are tossed in the air and gamblers bet on the outcome, the cry “Come in spinner” indicating that betting is ended and the coins should now be tossed.

Where the arrangements on the double album were very much in the swinging style of the 1930s and 40s big bands, these were all unfamiliar new arrangements, which were dense, and harmonically complex. The main part of the band was overshadowed somewhat initially by Karl Dunnicliff’s double bass. This was remedied after some time, the level being reduced slightly in the sound mix. In the early stage, too, solos were partially lost under the rest of the brass and reed sections. This is unusual as the sound mix in all of the venues of the Festival Centre is generally exceptionally good.

Vince Jones has to be the world’s most laid-back jazz singer, relaxed, cool, and unhurried. His smooth vocals captivated the audience as he filled the lyrics with his obvious love of the songs. Nina Ferro’s more animated performance provided a great contrast, with no less enthusiasm for the music. Individually and, on a couple of numbers, together, they presented a thoroughly enjoyable evening of jazz.

The two alternated for most of the performance, Vince Jones opening the evening with a brief introduction of the show and the other personnel, over the piano improvisation by McMahon, which he provided between each of the numbers. He then launched into a gentle rendition of You Go to My Head. Nina Ferro began her selection with the lively Duke Ellington number, Don’t Get Around Much Anymore. Ellington’s music featured strongly in this concert, with Jones following up with the slower number, Mood Indigo. Back to Ferro, for Gershwin’s, The Man I Love, then Jones again with L’il Darlin’.

Duke Ellington’s In a Sentimental Mood was given an airing as an instrumental number, giving some of the members of the orchestra a chance to take short solos.

Jones and Ferro joined forces for the first time to sing Cole Porter’s, I’ve Got You Under My Skin, to a more familiar arrangement this time, before more Ellington from Ferro, on Sophisticated Lady. Jones turned next to a subtle version of Hoagy Carmichael’s I Get Along Without You Very Well.

The great songs kept coming, each given a wonderful treatment by one of the two singers. Ferro swung like crazy on Lover Come Back to Me, countered by Jones who followed with a poignant rendition of Body and Soul, leading to another extended instrumental number, with many solos, showing off the enormous amount of talent in the orchestra. We were rapidly approaching, far too soon, the end of this marvellous concert.

Digressing from the standards, we were treated to an original number from Jones and Ferro, Trustworthy Little Sweethearts, and then the band left the stage for Ferro to sing with piano accompaniment on The Nearness of You, followed by Jones singing, and playing flugelhorn, as part of a quintet with piano, bass, drums, and tenor saxophone, on another original number, The Rainbow Game, to close the evening

The applause was loud and long, while the audience hoped for a further encore, but, alas, the concert was over.

Photography, Claudio Raschella.