Torch Songs Aplenty Promised at the Pheasantry

Jessie Buckley and the Joe Thompson Trio: More Than You Know

Claire Martin: jazz royalty heading for The Pheasantry (picture by Kate Eastman)

After the will they, won’t they confusion surrounding the demise of cabaret venue Pizza on the Park – it will definitely close for the last time on Saturday – it’s all systems go at the new location, The Pheasantry in Chelsea’s King’s Road.

Producer Samuel Joseph has switched his programme to The Pheasantry and the good news for torch-song fans is that it offers plenty to look forward to throughout the summer.

Jessie Buckley – an Art of the Torch Singer favourite since I saw her at Pizza in March, and judging by the number of visits you’ve made to that review, I’m not alone! (the uninitiated should click on the video link above) – kicks things off on Saturday 26^th June.

If she and pianist Joe Thompson don’t bring the house down with “More Than You Know” and “The Man That Got Away”, I’ll be very surprised.

Then, from 30^th June to 3^rd July, British jazz royalty in the form of Claire Martin and her trusty accomplice, composer and pianist Richard Rodney Bennett, will deliver their trademark mixture of effortless swinging and emotional subtlety for a short run.

Jessie will be followed by more West End talent, including Avenue Q’s Cassidy Janson (4^th July), Kelly Price (18^th July), and Shona White (25^th July) – who should all be burning up a few torch numbers along the way.

Art of the Torch Singer hopes to make it to some of these gigs and I’ll report back from what is clearly going to be London’s cabaret hot spot. Here’s hoping for some sultry summer nights to match the music.