Music Review: Etienne Charles at New Jazz Club Soul Mama Stratford London

“Let’s get cooking” exclaims trumpeter and Professor of Jazz, Etienne Charles as his Creole Orchestra launches into jazz standard ‘Night Train’. In fact, we are just a few platforms up from Stratford International station or a quick shunt through Westfield shopping centre from the underground and into new grassroots music venue and dining spot ‘Soul Mama’ – and it’s everything it says on the tin.

Love is everywhere, on the stair tread decals, on the programmes, screens and tangibly in the air. There’s a queue to get in, it’s Soul Mama’s first big gig and it’s sold out for two sets with Etienne Charles’s big band Creole Orchestra album launch – he’s a big name, this is his tenth album.

“Defined by a riveting array of Caribbean rhythms, Etienne Charles’s album featuring his big band arrangements is a triumph.”

On stage in a canary yellow blazer, funky glasses, jaunty hat and colourful slip-on shoes, the maestro and his 18-piece band take us on sun-drenched journey through the Caribbean, from his home town in Trinidad for calypso, infusions of Jamaican reggae and stopping off in Havana for mambo. All jazz and lush. This is music for the soundtrack of your best life – beaches, car chases, rum cocktails and beautiful people. The rich cinematic ‘wall of sound’ music surprisingly suits the acoustics of this ‘industrial chic’ double height space with floor to ceiling windows at the Gantry Hotel in Stratford, East London.

Etienne Charles at Soul Mama London 2024 (Photo: maninlondon)

Etienne is a film buff and his way into Night Train is via the Prom scene in Back to The Future, he also tells us he’s been leading celebrations for film composer Henry Mancini’s 100th birthday. Part DJ, conductor and cheerleader, Etienne Charles is a natural performer, acclaimed composer and storyteller. He cautions us with Monty Alexander’s ‘Think Twice’ – a reggae take on Cole Porter’s provocative ‘Love For Sale’. Folklore tales from Trinidad figure in ‘Douens’, an original piece inspired by the legend of faceless, forest-dwelling creatures who were of questionable intent but sympathetic – a little bit like our hero, a playful Will.i.am of jazz.

Here the style is party and people and this album is designed to keep you listening, foot tapping, swaying and if space allows dancing. The gig is intoxicating, the genres wide and the break neck pace leaves you breathless and, given the choice, this crowd voted down Hip Hop for Calypso.

Taking his jacket off, it’s that kind of night.

This big band has everything, trumpets, trombones, saxophones, Congo drums, double base, electric guitar, piano – they couldn’t have fitted any more on the stage. There’s even a steel pan alongside the pianist who plays Rachmaninoff strokes to boogie-woogie rhythms. There simply wasn’t enough time to hear other album tracks such as Stompin’ at The Savoy, but it’s really not that sort of place and we didn’t get René Marie’s voice which graces four of the album’s thirteen tracks so we missed a treat of ‘I Wanna Be Evil’, where Charles’ arrangement brings Eartha Kitt’s signature song to life.

Looking down on the stage at Soul Mama

Taking his splendid hat off to this very big band:

Saxes: Sammy Mayne, Rachel Cohen, Alex Garnett, Leo Richardson and Richard Shepherd
Trumpets: James Copus, Sid Gauld, Nick Smart and Jay Phelps
Bones: Trevor Mires, Winston Rollins, Harry Maund and Michaias Berlouis
Rhythm: Luke Bacchus (piano), Aron Stornaiulo, Jason Brown, Ferg Ireland and Leon Foster Thomas