Blues and Jazz in Bucharest

Hi Everyone,

I just came back from a great concert at the Sala Palatului with Flori. The first half was A.G. Weinberger, a Romanian now living in USA. Unremarkable blues though the public loved it. Lots of singing and dancing, shouting and general 'high jinx' to quote an Irish friend of mine. The second half was more up my street.

Imagine my surprise when a little chubby lady with verocious red hair, aged around 65 stepped onto the stage. Tantza could have looked the same if life had been fairer to her. The singer was no other than Aura Urziceanu, a very well known jazz singer here with a voice... well, what a voice. A kind of cross between Liza Minelli, Ella Fitzgerald and Broadway. She did everything from Ray Charles, Al Jarreau and the Beatles to Gershwin and Irving Berlin. And for a plump little thing, boy, could she move and shake her stuff.

Go see for yourself

Half way through the concert she called for the spotlight to be thrown up into the second balcony, for there was seated her banker! I don't know whether it was out of friendship or some kind of revenge (!), but she insisted that he came onto the stage to sing with her. Mooooorte de rire! Down he came and she began to skat on a song I didn't know by Bert Bacharach. He didn't follow very well though she did all she could to help him out. He missed all his obvious entries but when he did manage a few noises, it was clear he had a good bass voice. Whether or not he'll continue to be her banker after that remains to be seen, but I'm telling you this because I don't think that could have happened anywhere else but here!!!!!

A great evening! Thank you, Flori!

Have a good week everyone,

Love Sarah xox