I’ve been lucky enough to go to two live music events in Ealing in the last 24 hours and I’ve really enjoyed both. Last night I was at the Ealing Club to see the Creole Brothers play their version of Louisiana Creole music. The Ealing Club has a key place in the history of British Blues Music and these twice monthly music nights are beginning to reestablish the club as an important part of Ealing’s cultural scene.
Back to the music. If you’ve been to the club you’ll know it’s tucked away down the steps by an estate agent opposite Ealing Broadway station. As we walked down the steps to the entrance I could hear the sound of Cajun music. It was a great sound to hear and got even better when we went inside. Sitting in a circle were musicians of all ages thoroughly enjoying playing their music. Their joy spread to everyone listening and before long people were up and dancing.
The main event of the evening was the Creole Brothers. Without realising it we happened to be sitting near them as they waited their turn to play. One played the accordion and the other a fiddle. Cajun music has a powerful driving rhythm that soon has your feet tapping and the singing in French seems to fit the rhythms so well. A great night out.
This lunchtime at OPEN we had the soaring voice and very skilled cello playing of Laura Victoria. Laura should have been joined by Sarah-Jane Miller but Sarah was ill so Laura played solo. At first the cello seemed an odd choice of instrument to accompany her modern take on folk music but it worked beautifully. Her voice is so expressive and soars and dips, delighting the audience. Laura’s hour long set included many of her own songs interspersed with at least one jazz classic. Whether singing unaccompanied or making the cello fill the air with multiple sounds, Laura was compulsive listening. I thoroughly recommend you give her a listen – www.lauravictoriamusic.com
There was a guy playing the fiddle outside of the former Peacock’s last Monday. Don’t know if he’s a regular but the sound echoed across the street and carried into some of the shops I went into. It felt like a good use of an empty shopfront.