Festival review: Out of Abingdon; The Jazz Bar (venue 57)

THE clunky and inelegant name belies the fact that Out of Abingdon are a duo who do a classy line in sultry, gently swinging jazz and blues versions of songs that are not necessarily from the jazz and blues genres.

Australian Tina Fullerton (vocals and bass) and New Zealander Warwick Hargreaves (vocals and guitar) immediately set out their stall. She specialises in cool, sensual vocals – shades of Julie London and Melody Gardot, whose repertoire is plundered during the show – while he is more of a blues man, both vocally and in his guitar playing.

It was a bit of a mixed bag in terms both of the diversity of numbers played and how appealing they were (plus the patter was somewhat lacking in pizazz) – but the highlights were a pair of pop tunes which Fullerton and Hargreaves made their own. Strange I’ve Seen That Face Before, Grace Jones’s hit reworking of a Piazzolla tango, was a showcase for Fullerton’s slinky bass and intimate, sexy singing style which was also to the fore on Portishead’s Glory Box.

Rating: * * *

Until 19 August. Today 5:30pm.