The Yardbird in Birmingham is known by locals to be a quality venue for true talents. Previously called ‘The Stage’, the bar sits next to the central library and attracts regulars and passers by alike. The atmosphere, largely thanks to the relaxed friendliness of the staff, is chilled, whether you are sat on a bistro table out front, or getting cosy on a sofa in the bar. I do love this venue, so I was thrilled that it was on the list for Jann Klose’s first ever tour in the UK. Jann lives in New York, and has toured the US and Germany several times, and now this talented singer/songwriter has his sights on Blighty.

I had already reviewed his CD, Reverie, and interviewed him about his life and music, (see links at end of this review) and now I was looking forward to experiencing the live performance, especially as his vast band had been left in New York and Jann was stripping it down acoustic style, a performance only the truly talented can carry off.

Jann kicked off his set with ‘Beautiful Dream’, a firm favourite of Jann and fans alike. The purity of the acoustic, power of the vocals, and passion of the lyrics filled the room with a promise of a memorable and pleasurable set. A further five tracks from the album followed, including the emotion fuelled ‘Mother Said, Father Said’ which was so euphoric it stole the breath from my mouth.

Jann bantered with the crowd a little, and played some good old fashioned blues mid set. Now I don’t know if it was the music, the setting or both, but I really felt the need for a cigar and a blue sequin dress at this point. It was an excellent display of Jann’s musical range, and this interlude was highly popular with the audience. Three more tracks from Reverie played the evening out, including the urgency of ‘Rivers’, and ending with ‘Hold Me Down’ which was a great play-out track thanks to its playful jiggy melody. Throughout the set, Jann played with focus and modesty, allowing the power of the music to win over the audience.

I had been concerned that the influence carried by the vast musical arrangements from the CD would take both affect and credit away from the essence of Reverie, but as Jann and his guitar played on in raw exposure, it was flawlessly clear that the beauty and talents of this album can stand alone without the loss of credit. I had been enchanted by the CD Reverie, and I was just as enchanted by the pure acoustic performance Jann gave tonight. What a bonus that guitar was played by a fine bit of eye candy!

©Meriel Flavell 2008

Jann Klose | Reverie - New Album now available!

MySpace.com - Jann Klose - BRONX, NEW YORK - Pop / Rock / Acoustic - www.myspace.com/jannklose

Jann Klose Interview

Album review of Reverie