Each year the quality and quantity of shows at the Edinburgh fringe is astounding. The only area that seems to be diminshing is music. Just when I thought I wouldn't see anything other than drama and plays up pops Barb Jugr to save the day. ( Where was Patti Plinko this year?)
This is the silver anniversary of my first trip to this festival and the person I have seen the most is Miss Jungr, starting in 1989 with her performances with Julian Clary and guitarist Michael Parker, through to Christine Collister and Ian Shaw and her tentative solo steps to her current position as Britain's foremost female interpreter of song.
In recent years she has followed the trend of themed shows and after the success of 2009's show "Sings Songs Of War and Peace" tonight's is devoted to the works of Bob Dylan. These are great songs not always easy to follow and certainly not a barrel of laughs. The justification ( should there need to be one) is to promote her latest CD based upon the songs of the great singer/songwriter " Man In The Long Black Coat", though a lot of these featured come from her previous tribute album " Every Grain Of Sand".
No-one should be surprised by her ability to inhabit a song and turn a perennial favourite upside down and inside out with a great arrangement and perfect piano accompanyist from Simon Wallace. But it is the patter between songs that lifts her out of the category of a great singer into an all-round entertainer. She tells stories about the songs like a true connoiseur bringing them to life with her sheer enthusiasm, injecting them with great humour and such comic timing that many comedians would envy.
After a disappointing audience in 2009 it was gratifying to see the Queens Hall full of adoring fans. Even though she over-ran by nearly half an hour causing me to haul myself at great speed to my last show of the week I don't begrudge a second of it.
Musical and comedy perfection.
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