To the Conga! …on Sunday evening for the October session for the Wivenhoe Music Mix. GOOD EVENING, WIVENHOE! I’m Jana Varga!
Except the welcome introduction wasn’t quite as bombastic for what was a very intimate and stripped down performance from the Slovakian singer songwriter.
This was a new artist for me. Joining Jana on stage was Sam Watts, playing the piano.
Jana’s voice was exquisite from start to finish. She managed to hold the room throughout with her range of original material and a few covers slipped in.
Some Carly Simon was included, but such was the quality of her own songs that it wasn’t always possible to distinguish between the two until she let it slip.
It wasn’t just the music that worked well. Jana is a great storyteller. She managed to weave a narrative that runs throughout her own songs to create a strong connection with the audience.
There was also a great professional chemistry between her and Sam on the piano. We even got to have a little bit of flute action towards the end when Jana put down her acoustic guitar and worked her magic.
This was something of a departure from the usual Wivenhoe Music Mix Sunday night sessions. We’re used to a full on jazz assault that blows away any thoughts of Sunday night blues ahead of the week ahead.
Sometimes you need something a little more thoughtful from a very powerful singer who won over many new friends on Sunday evening.
