Michele Hendricks at the Petit Journal Montparnasse, 29th April 2016, Paris
What a show at the PJM! Michele Hendricks has a knack for building a set with intelligence and kicking things up a notch with each song — which is no mean feat since she started off with an intense scat on “Airmail Special”. Her warmth, improvisational ease and bluesy delivery were perfectly in synch with the programme of the evening, a showcase for her latest album, A Little bit of Ella.
She managed to keep a fiery intensity throughout two varied sets while the excellent rhythm section comprising Arnaud Mattéi (piano), Brunot Rousselet (bass) and Philippe Soirat (drums) kept stoking the fire. The surprise was her heartfelt rendition of “I Fall in Love Too Easily” and “I Keep Going Back to Joe’s”, two beautiful ballads that balanced the abundance of fiercely swinging tunes.
With Olivier Témime on tenor and Denis Leloup on trombone, the energy level was constantly on the up. Among the highlights of the evening were absolutely every solo by Ronald Baker on trumpet and his scatting tour de force with the leader on “How High the Moon”.
The musical world of Michele Hendricks is so spirited that her feel-good virtuosity proved highly contagious —which after all is the purpose of jazz. Parisians are lucky.
Jean Szlamowicz