More than an accomplished jazz vocalist with a silken voice, Alexia Gardner is a true entertainer. This live recording suitably titled Jammin' from the Shanghai JC Mandarin Hotel in March 2005, showcases Gardner's rapport with the audience and her command of the stage. This British singer, with Jamaican roots, began her career touring cabarets and clubs in England and Wales with her sister Paula in a sophisticated, a capella act. After going solo, she spent five years singing in various posh venues from Hong Kong to Jakarta, before arriving in Shanghai in late 2001. Since then, her groove-laden, funkified brand of jazz has done much to enliven the local scene. In short, Gardner is a stage veteran and her experience shows; she has developed an undeniable jazzy rapport with her band, and a genuine interaction with the audience. She literally jams with listeners and musicians on this release, and transforms a selection of rock, reggae and pop classics into jazzy, rhythm and blues-influenced gems (Marley's Jammin' ; Clapton's Change the World; Lennon's Fool on a Hill). Then there's a brilliant rendition of another classic, the Chinese number "The Moon Shines on my Heart." Buy this disc, or better still, catch Gardner live around town.
Available at www.alexiajazz.com

(c) that's Shanghai Magazine
Chief editor: Steven Crane
April 2006 issue



(c)that's Guangzhou
Guanzhou Chief editor: Christopher Cottrell
April 2006 issue