THE NAT KING COLE STORY

Corn Exchange, Dorchester

THE king of jazz is one of the most loved performers of the pre-rock and roll era and beyond and singer Atila has the amiable style and vocal ability to bring back fond memories of those days.

So far so good. But when four musicians walk onto the stage at the start of this tribute show, we are in for a surprise. The man who sits down at the piano is not Atila. The tribute artist does not play the piano, he just sings, quite a shock for devoted fans of the man who was first and foremost a jazz pianist before being persuaded to add vocals to his performances.

Nevertheless, we get to enjoy hits like Paper Moon, Let There Be Love and Mona Lisa, backed up by the excellent four piece group who keep the show moving along at a steady pace.

Video on-screen images of the great man – invariably seated at a piano - help things along and a brief history of his life is told by Atila between his relaxed delivery of old favourites such as Stardust and Too Young.

So why was the audience’s reception somewhat muted and what persuaded several people not return to their seats after the first half of the show? The answer must be charisma, Atila simply does not have enough of that intangible charm to attract audiences to him. He looks likeable, he sings well and seems to have good rapport with his back-up musicians, but that is not charisma. Nat King Cole had it in abundance.

MARION COX