What do Nellie Lutcher, Julia Lee, Dinah Washington, Peggy Lee, Blossom Dearie, Aretha Franklin, and Nina Simone have in common? They are all women who influenced Judith Owen since childhood. They encouraged her to be bolder, bigger, and braver. The show Unapologetically Judith Owen is her celebration of these women and the path they paved.
Judith Owen and her incredible band The Gentlemen Callers (isn’t that a great name?) played to a full Banquet Room at the Adelaide Festival Centre on Saturday night. As soon as Judith Owen entered the stage, we were transported from Adelaide’s cold winter drizzly night to a hot (in all the senses) New Orleans jazz club. Within seconds Judith Owen and her band had us toe-tapping, and hand-clapping along to the music.
We soon learn that Judith Owen was introduced to some of this music via her Dad’s collection of “sexy 45s”; and that age 7, even though she may not have understood the lyrics, she knew that she wanted to be like them: a performer. The song that started it: Nellie Lutcher’s Fine Brown Frame (“I wanna scream ‘cos I’ve never seen Such a fine brown frame”).
Over the next hour, we get to know singers we didn’t know before, and refamiliarise ourselves with others. These women didn’t sing about love like women were supposed to for their era– their songs were full of innuendo and double entendre. Dinah Washington’s Big Long Slidin’ Thing is the perfect example “’Cause I need my daddy, Need my daddy with that big long slidin’ thing!” Blossom Dearie’s Blossom’s Blues is less innuendo and straighter to the point and features some great jazz scatting: “My nightly occupation, stealing other women’s men. I’m an evil evil woman, but I want to do a man some good”. These women didn’t whisper about love, or sex, they shouted their desires in clever code, rewriting the rules with every note.
Judith Owen and The Gentlemen Callers’ performance of Peggy Lee’s Fever was sultrier and more infused with sex appeal than ever – slowed right down with a haunting trombone solo, Owen’s voice singing long drawn-out words was hypnotic, ethereal even. It wasn’t just music; it was seduction in slow motion, a masterclass in mood.
Think women didn’t sing about weed back then? Meet Julia Lee’s The Spinach Song. Very amusingly after the line “Spinach has vitamin A, B and D, but spinach never appealed to me”, the band all chimed in “same, same, same”.
Owen herself takes to the piano to perform a beautiful ode to Nina Simone, who had wanted to be a classical pianist, playing and singing I put a spell on you. There is only one song in the set list that wasn’t sung by a woman but that’s because it was about a woman: Louis Jordan’s Caldonia: “You know, my mama told me to leave Caldonia alone”
The Gentlemen Callers are made up of Bordeaux-based Australian David Blenkhorn on guitar; David Torkanowsky on piano; Kevin Louis on cornet and flugelhorn (who you may recognise from The Duke Ellington Orchestra); Ricardo Pascal on saxophone; Grammy Award winner Jamison Ross on drums; and Lex Warshawsky on double bass. All but Blenkhorn are New Orleans based. Individually impressive, collectively unstoppable—the band delivered jazz with soul, style, and swagger.
Through sultry vocals, razor-sharp humour, and electrifying jazz, Unapologetically Judith Owen honours the bold women who sang what they weren’t supposed to, and changed music forever. Judith Owen and The Gentlemen Callers are an absolute must-see. While Adelaide’s season has ended, audiences in other cities still have the chance (details below). Be a badass and get yourself along to any of their shows.
5 CROISSANTS
Matilda Marseillaise was a guest of Adelaide Cabaret Festival
KEY INFO FOR JUDITH OWEN AUSTRALIAN TOUR
The Adelaide Cabaret Festival season of Unapologetically Judith Owen has now concluded.
Judith Owen and The Gentlemen Callers will play at Paris Cat in Melbourne this Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18 June (both performances are sold out), and Sydney’s Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace with James Morrison in Cremorne on Saturday 21 June. More info at Judith Owen’s website
Plan the rest of your month with our What’s on in June
