The British singer and composer Sara Mitra performed with her delightful band at Vaba Lava, opening the Christmas Jazz Festival on November 28th.
Sara was the solution for Kellylee Evans’ last minute cancellation. The Canadian artist, who was supposed to come to Tallinn at the beginning, was forced to cancel the gig due to her health. Fortunately, Jazzkaar didn’t have to cancel the musical event, because they found a singer who combines her emotional voice and charming charisma that are necessary to properly kick off a Christmas festival.
Indeed, Mitra started by saying that she is also a big fan of Kellylee Evans, and that she was sorry for her health. She dedicated a few of her songs to her, adding: “We hope she is with her family and friends and that she gets better soon”.
The cherubic singer impressed the whole audience with her clear and fresh voice, showing the great control she has on it by nice rhythmic displacements and swings. However, she wasn’t the only one shining on the stage, the fabulous band with an amazing double bass player, incredible guitarist and awesome drummer made the soiree simply perfect.
Nevertheless, the leader of the band didn’t impress only because of the wonderful colours in her tone with a heartwarming touch. It was the sense of humor and her spontaneous comments which got the spectators with sincere laughs. Full of energy during the entire show, she only went away for one song to rest a bit because of her pregnancy, while letting the bad play and please the public.
When the humble artist came back, she took the guitar to perform a solo song. Even when the artist began, saying: “I’m not that good at piano, even less at guitar,” she was able to give shivers with her voice and rocky ballad. Improvising and going with the flow, the band was coming back, when suddenly she decided to sing another solo self-written song called “Sixteen miles”.
The end of the concert was getting closer with her last work “Baby and me” and with Nina Simone’s version. She doesn’t usually sing these kinds of tunes, however, as Kellylee makes a lot of these versions and she couldn’t come, Sara didn’t want to disappoint the audience, so she included “Feeling good” to her repertoire.
After the warm applause and acclamation by the audience, the woman in a white dress came back alone to the piano to put the cherry on top by playing a cover of Joni Mitchell’s song ‘River’ from the album ‘Blue’.
It was such a beautiful and sounding concert with some real eclectic moments. This woman with an angelical voice was the first ornament on the Christmas Jazz tree, the shining angel. I am willing to listen to the next blinking artists and hoping that we can soon enjoy Kellylee’s music as well.
November 28th at Vaba Laba, Tallinn.
Sara Mitra – singer, piano and guitar
Tim Giles – drums
Andy Button – guitar
Johnny Brierley –bass