This week's visit of Kristina Fuchs as part of an Irish tour organised by the Improvised Music Company was a return for the impressive Swiss singer, who last performed here three years ago.
Accompanied by the Dutch keyboard player, Wolfert Brederode, and Michael Coady (bass) and Kieran Phillips (drums), she delivered two sets which were contrasting in impact; the first contained much original material to which she contributed either words and music, or both, while the second concentrated more on standards, albeit for the most part less-often played examples of the genre.
In a rather monochrome first set, despite the fact that she is among the most musicianly of singers, the cerebral nature of her performance left little room for light and shade on such as The Dreaming, Sad To Say, Sister Moon and Blossom, although the later pieces, His Is The Only Music That Makes Me Dance, Little Girl Don't Talk and Portrait Of A Woman gave some needed emotional charge to the performances.
A second set - and more familiar material, including Beautiful Love, Out Of This World and marvellous versions of Where Flamingos Fly and The Sweetest Sounds - not only made more impact, but also gave a firmer idea of her considerable gifts. She hasn't got a "big" voice but her ear is virtually faultless and her harmonic knowledge is impeccable, which made her scat singing extraordinarily good.
Allied to excellent time, it establishes her, in jazz terms, as a first-class soloist, one who can construct a line with its own definite melodic character, yet let the listener hear all the changes - gifts exemplified on one of the best performances of the night, on Kenny Wheeler's Sweet Dulcinea.
Throughout the concert, the accompaniment was excellent; good as Brederode was, however, Coady and Phillips were even better, deserving the applause they got at the close.