“The show kicked off with a rousing speech by LaVance Colley, the band’s MC. Right from the start LaVance let us know that we were in for a musical journey back in time and it turned out to be just that. The song that kicked off the show was “Call Me Maybe” performed by Robyn Adele Anderson. The beauty of the moment was also accentuated by Anissa, the dancer who mesmerized us with her mesmerizing tap moves. It’s truly magical to watch this exuberant dancer, who executes tap steps with the grace of a flake, the sprightliness of a Madonna and the vivacity of a child.” (iConcert.ro)
“PMJ does a lot more than sing other people’s songs, which in the age of big talent shows like The Voice or X-Factor is almost a musical modus vivendi. They treat original songs as a theme, as is often the case in jazz, which they reinterpret, develop, reorchestrate, and if we are to compare vocal performances, they sing it better!
How did PMJ seduce the Romanian audience? By conversing with the audience in Romanian with an impeccable accent, singing the piano chords of Phoenix’s “Vremuri” (younger audience members may have recognised the version of “Hey, tram, with a floor and a horse-drawn carriage” performed by Pasărea Colibri) and taking the vocals to electrifying performances.
What makes the band invented by Scott Bradlee near perfection is found in the live moments, which YouTube postings can’t quite capture in all their glory: could you imagine hearing “Sweet Child O’ Mine” performed live in a jazz version, in the spirit and letter of George Gershwin’s reworking, and Slash’s guitar solo can be reconfigured to wind instruments!
Two impossible-to-ignore mentions in last night’s concert by Postmodern Jukebox: the performance of MC LaVance Colley and soloist Maiya Sykes.
LaVance started the show as MC, and his style and rhetoric instantly seduced. When LaVance speaks, he’s irresistibly comic; it’s like hearing and seeing, as our colleague Mihai Vasilescu observes, Chris Tucker in the picturesque genius roll from The Fifth Element. When he sings, you discover a world-class vocalist.” (unsitedemuzica.ro)
