Ella Jones

Many of you will have heard me say this before - nothing fills me with more dread than receiving the latest hot tip. I make no apology for this sensitivity. As a reviewer, I have lost count of the number of times so-called hot tips have turned cold and clammy. The chill moment is when you see the promoter bouncing towards you with his question .What did you think?, he asks. Oh, how I have lied!   I mention this in passing, to emphasize the simple fact that where Ella Jones is concerned I was entirely spared any such embarrassment. This was one hot tip that proved the exception to the rule. So much so, that I now find myself in the position of tipster.   It was a short set but this young singer/ songwriter really burned herself into my consciousness. Yes, she sings and plays beautifully but if you’re looking for the above and beyond, look no further. This performer shares her inner self in a way that had the whole of the Ronnie Scott audience stretched forward in their seats. Her deeply personal lyrics are delivered with such an openness of soul it is impossible not to be moved. Ella Jones is all about emotion and by god she knows how to make you feel it. As first on, she was up against a cold house but not for long. She filled the room with her personality and warmed everyone in it with her honesty. When her set finished there was little point in staying. After Ella Jones everything else sounded like The Teddy Bear’s Picnic. I know I said hot tips can be dodgy but you’ll have to trust me on this one. Ella Jones is someone you have got to see.   Andy Flanagan Tamworth Jazz Club