A recent evening spent at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum with an up-and-coming talent couldn’t have been more of a delightful surprise, and the decision to come to Niagara from Jamaica, the singer’s native country, seemed like a gift to local music-lovers.
The performance was billed as MOON: I Put a Spell on You. And the artist, with a most incredible voice, certainly cast a spell on the small audience in the main museum hall.
The evening was arranged by jazz singer and event organizer Juliet Dunn, and was the first in the new series of her Secret Salons, organized by JADE, the entity Dunn has created to offer a diverse range of performances. The “secret” is the show location, kept a surprise until a couple of weeks before the event. But clearly, the best-kept secret of her most recent show was the enormous talent of MOON, a relative newcomer to the local music scene.
Dunn first heard them sing after seeing online clips of original compositions and other styles of music (MOON uses they/them pronouns). They had told her they studied jazz, Dunn told The Local, “so I was quite confident that they would be very good in the jazz genre.”
At a Secret Salon in March at Cork’s Wine Bar & Eatery, Dunn invited MOON up to sing a jazz tune. “I was literally blown away, as was the whole audience. I knew then that a full night of MOON performing jazz standards and their own compositions would be incredible.”
Dunn says she feels she discovered a great talent to showcase in Niagara that evening at Cork’s, and the reaction from those at the museum was also very positive. “People were so attentive, and I've had such great feedback from the audience about MOON and their band’s performance. What a treat!”
With the accompaniment of pianist Sasona Olusola and Cam Watson on bass guitar, musicians who have recently joined MOON, the two-hour performance offered not only jazz with a bit of blues, but also some original compositions.
As soon as MOON’s opening notes of the most familiar tunes began, audience responded enthusiastically — songs which included The Look of Love, It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing), and the closing number, I Put a Spell on You.
MOON is also an author, and recently did a Ted Talk about the subject of their book, Breaking the Binary. The debut anthology includes poetry and photography, and discusses “the collective experiences of intersectionality that occur through existing as both queer and Caribbean across multiple generations.”
MOON spoke briefly at the museum of that background, and their music that is inspired by a diverse heritage.
Dunn has also introduced MOON’s music on her website: “Through playing with the multiple textures and layers of their voice, MOON’s eclectic style brings you a night of groove and playfulness with soulful jazz vocals over a sensual mix of instrumentation. Ranging from classics like Lush Life and Moody’s Mood For Love to more contemporary tunes by the likes of Erykah Badu and Norah Jones, MOON promises to carry you on a magical journey and leave you spellbound.”
That promise was fulfilled at the museum, as was another made by Dunn, that the Secret Series, unlike the Jazz Festivals she organizes, also be an opportunity for her to sing. And she did, delighting the audience with her bilingual version — she spent some time living and training in Paris, France — of Autumn Leaves, a jazz classic from the 40s.
If there was any downside to the evening’s show, it was the awkward performance space at the museum, with display cabinets moved to the side to provide a space — however, despite the drawbacks, room was found for more chairs to accommodate a larger audience than expected.
And as museum community engagement coordinator Barbara Worthy told the audience, museum expansion plans include a beautiful space designed specifically for that purpose, and added a reminder that “any cash thrown this way” to get that project started would be much appreciated.
Without giving away any secrets, Dunn says she will definitely be looking for more opportunities to feature MOON. Look for a schedule of JADE events at https://www.julietdunn.ca/events-2-1.