“All lovers of black music history lift every voice and sing.”

Omar + QCBA Live Review

Jazz Café, London [Mar 31, 2022]

The launch of an album that was recorded right here last year. In short, the live of the live, which we might market as surreal soul, a thing that would suit the likes of Omar + QCBA very well. After all, the former, known only too well to Echoes readers, has always undertaken flights of fancy in his 30-year career, such as that mesmerizing solo body slap rhythm-a-ning that was also done at this very venue when he was a yoot, not to mention his unique way of synthesizing dub, Afro-Latin, electronica and rhythm & blues in the mould of Stevie, Donny et al. Trumpeter Quentin Collins and tenor saxophonist-flautist Brandon Allen are the high grade jazz quartet who collaborate with him on Live At Last [riff on the title at your pleasure] and they are everything he could have hoped for to give his repertoire the richness associated with his aforementioned sources of inspiration. The horns reign supreme on classics such as ‘The Man’, ‘Stop War, Make Love’ and ‘Syleste’, providing shifting colours and textures that enhance a tone as distinctive as Omar’s. Then again, drummer Ian Thomas, depping for James Maddren, is funkily on point and organist Ross Stanley holds down the bass and treble quite magnificently - and also excels with Omar on a heavenly duet of ‘Nature Boy’, which ends with the gothic-horror-jump-scare of Bach’s ‘Toccata And Fugue In D Minor.’ Which is not quite what Nat ‘King’ Cole did back in the day. In any case, all lovers of black music history lift every voice and sing to the finale of ‘Be Thankful For What You’ve Got’, where the band was also joined by the hugely impressive young singer Cherise [who is more than likely to move from support act to headliner in the fullness of time].

Kevin Le Gendre