By Seth Zarura
My first Venna show… my first time in Manchester… a new venue to me… no rules, no regulations. This is my baseline for performances going forward, the benchmark to beat. Not to pressure Venna, but when you mix Black British music with jazz, there are going to be expectations.
The clock strikes 7:30 and the doors open to a very intimate space; as the hall fills, we’re all waiting for the hour to pass. For myself and many others that time goes by quickly, with how closed off the venue is. Instruments on show, music playing, with songs so calm you would almost forget this is a show and not a hang-out spot.
Venna and his band come out to an uproar from the fans, with no words spoken. Straight to the music -performing ‘Numero Uno’… a fitting choice for the first song. Performing tracks from his latest album and some from his previous projects, Venna encapsulates you in the moment, with the effortless talent. The way he carries himself is also surprising. With jazz artists I would expect them to be quiet; however, between songs he shows his true self – a real performer, making you laugh – then emotional, with moments of silence and tributes. It’s given me a new appreciation for his music and him as a person.
At first, I don’t know what to make of it all because when people go to see performances, it’s usually a very vocal-focused performance, right? However, Venna is a producer, saxophonist and only recently became a singer-songwriter, meaning the majority of his songs are very instrumental based. He is a producer at heart. So, going into it I knew there wasn’t going to be much singing involved, so I was thinking to myself, what am I going to do here?
My highlight of the show was his tribute to D’Angelo. D’Angelo passed earlier and so as tribute, Venna and his band performed ‘Really Love’ – a great rendition of that song. The band performed beautifully as well. The electric guitarist looked about 20 years old and honestly, you would never have guessed it … the way he was playing was like he’d known it for years. And he might have, to be fair.
My only problem with the performance is that given how bulked out his discography is – having collaborated with artists such as Jorja Smith, Knucks, Loyle Carner and Leon Thomas just to name a few – he didn’t bring anybody out to perform. And within a grand city like Manchester you would expect some form of notable guest, right?
Overall, I would recommend seeing Venna if you haven’t, even if you’re not a Venna fan.
If you’re a jazz fan, you are already a Venna fan.
