Image: thetriffid.com.au
Colleagues and family members all responded with incredible enthusiasm when I informed them that I was attending a Wendy Matthews’ concert on Thursday. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of The day you went away, but I didn’t know so many people had such fond memories of the singer and songwriters time in the charts.
The faithful, but unfortunately few, attendees at the Triffid enthusiastically dragged bar stools towards the stage anxiously awaiting her arrival, and the next hour and a proved a perfect reminder of why there’s nothing like some mid week live jazz to wash away ones work stress. Matthew’s voice is as good as ever and her warmth and candid conversations made the aircraft hangar like Triffid feel like an intimate venue.
It was in 2012 that pianist Brendan St Ledger and stand-up bass player met in a studio with Wendy Matthews to explore the incredible repertoire of Billie Holiday. These two days of musical exploration led to an EP and the tour of Billie & Me. It’s clear that the items have been carefully chosen from Holiday’s catalogue, and not on Matthew’s well known hits.
2015 represents a century since the iconic Billie Holiday’s birth so it seems only right to celebrate with a tribute of this quality. Matthews is a formidable presence on stage, offering soulful readings of one of arguably the most soulful women of all times. Her small, but mighty band are a jazz powerhouse with incredible moments of improvisation and vamp sitting in juxtaposition to their delicate accompaniment, allowing Billies music and Matthews’ iconic voice to share the raw emotion of this music with the appreciative crowd.
After a short break Wendy returned to the stage with some of her original works; a repertoire of composers she respects, and a beautiful rendition of ‘little boy’, about her pet deer she recently lost. Wendy Matthews’ 90’s hit The day you went away, along with all of her repertoire, sat seamlessly beside Billie holidays back catalogue, illustrating the calibre of both artists.
Matthews and her virtuoso musician colleagues delivered a contemplative, reminiscent and moving evening. Once you’ve released your gig companions hand, you’ll most likely be drawn to purchase both Matthews and Holidays back catalogue to relive the magic of Billie & me.
Rating: 4 ½ stars out of 5
Billie and Me
Wendy Matthews
Queensland Music Festival
The Triffid
30 July ​
