Among the many shows included in Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Jazzmeia Horn’s beautiful voice and anecdotal lyrics stood out as one of the more personal performances. For the first time, the American singer-songwriter has put out an album independently without label management. For this concert at the Recital Centre, she performed multiple songs from this new LP, Messages, with a palpable sense of self-assurance and enjoyment.
Horn is one of those singers that warms the soul. Her vocal abilities were on full display, transitioning between chest voice, falsetto and even whistle notes with ease. As far as jazz goes, Horn’s songwriting is very accessible, narrative-based and energising.
In the audience were people of all ages (to my left a small child and his mother, to my right an elderly lady who teared up at emotional touch points). From songs like ‘Happy Livin’’ and ‘Destiny’, there is a hopeful sentiment to Horn’s music that speaks to all.
When singing about a troubled emotional state, she still weaves through the lyrics with a naturally comforting tone. Her airy and slightly raspy voice cut through the delicate piano, double bass and drums trio and flowed straight into the soul.
Rhythmically, there was nothing too fancy: simple jazz drum patterns played tastefully in service of the vocals. As for the piano, there were graceful solos that glistened in between Horn’s broadly projected vocals and improvised scat singing – the latter of which was a gloriously fun addition that really stirred many gleeful reactions from the listeners.
For the song ‘Submit to the Unknown’, there was a refrain where Horn repeatedly sang ‘I challenge you’ when describing her experiences of spiritual liberation and emotional conflicts, directly addressing the audience with inspiring thoughts. This was followed by a gospel-like call and response section where she asked the audience to repeat after her singing ‘bless the most high’ – a moment that harkened to worship music and church – which was an important part of her childhood.
An artist like Horn doesn’t require somersaults and backflips to possess showmanship. The singer’s authenticity and elegance shone through from the way she dressed to the way her facial expression changed with her tone in her voice. Her music can easily be enjoyed by listeners both experienced and new to the jazz world thanks to her charisma.
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This was a heartwarming performance that celebrated both her freedom as a songwriter and our freedoms in human expression.
Jazzmeia Horn performed at Melbourne Recital Centre as part of Melbourne International Jazz Festival for one night only on 25 October 2024.
