'Entertainer" is the perfect word to describe Laura Fygi, as well as the appellation "jazz diva". Proof of this was her performance at "The Glorious Celebration With Laura Fygi", a concert that played to various shades of pleasant moods, which took place last Thursday in Bangkok.
The audience was treated to pre-concert performances by saxophone player Ko Mr Saxman, as well as versatile singers such as Thanachai Ujjin, or Pod Moderndog, and Two Popetorn. The two sang His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej's jazzy Near Dawn and Magic Beams, and some of their own hits which had been rearranged in a jazzy style.
After a 15-minute intermission, Fygi glamorously swayed onto the stage singing her song Night And Day. The Dutch singer's voice was superb, as we all expected, and her movement was smooth. The five-piece band played the music with real zest. The next two songs were Nat King Cole's Let There Be Love and Bewitched, which she covered in her second album Bewitched. After that, Fygi addressed the crowd, announcing that she was celebrating the 25th anniversary of her singing career. She then asked them to click their fingers along to her singing I Will Wait For You with her powerful voice.
The crowd was later encouraged to sing the hook line, Si bon, Si bon, clapping their hands along with the French song C'est Si Bon. Then the mood suddenly swung to one of romance to welcome the song Volons Vers La Lune, the French version of Fly Me To The Moon. After that, Fygi came up with her cheerful improvisation of You Do Something To Me.
She went on to roll out a parade of songs and styles: the rhythmic Baby, Come To Me, the sexy How Insensitive, the Spanish song Corcovado and the romantic Dindi. More and more the crowd looked cheerful, even wanting to dance along with Cheek To Cheek.
Even when Fygi took a short break, the band continued to impress the audience with the royally composed No Moon. She then came back on with more: Heatwave, Eternal Flame, Triste and For Once In My Life. The climax was perhaps the powerful singing of Lately. Following this there was a medley of fun Latin jazz songs. Fygi encouraged the crowd to sing Quizas and Amor, delivering such much fun that one of them admitted, "she is a real entertainer".
The sweet Smile and the fun Route 66 songs ensued. Fygi made the crowd laugh again when she borrowed a mobile phone from one of the audience members and pretended to call her husband in the Netherlands before singing O, Telephone. The mood then suddenly switched to that of a lonesome one for the song Les Feuilles Mortes, the French version of Autumn Leaves.
Later, she brought a male fan onto the stage and pretended to flirt with him while singing Do It Again. She then dedicated I Love You For Sentimental Reasons to the same man and his fiancé when she learned they were soon to tie the knot. The jazz diva concluded the concert by saying, "I have the best job in the world by doing what I love!", and followed with the song As Long As I'm Singing. She left the stage, but returned for an encore with Almost Like Being In Love, a perfect ending to what was a night of jazz, love and great music.
Two Popetorn and Ko Mr Saxman.
Pod Moderndog.
