A recent evening spent at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum with an up-and-coming talent couldn’t have been a nicer surprise, and the decision to come to Niagara from the singer’s homeland of Jamaica seemed like a gift to local music lovers.
The performance was announced as MOON: I Put a Spell on You. And the artist with his incredible voice definitely captivated the small audience in the main hall of the museum.
The evening was arranged by jazz singer and event organizer Juliet Dunn and was the first in her new series of Secret Salons, organized by JADE, the organization Dunn founded to offer a diverse range of performances. The “secret” is the venue, which was kept under wraps until a few weeks before the event. But the best-kept secret of her latest show was clearly the enormous talent of MOON, a relative newcomer to the local music scene.
Dunn first heard them sing after watching clips of original compositions and other musical styles online (MOON uses the pronouns they/them). They told her they had studied jazz, Dunn told The Local, “so I was pretty confident they would be very good in the jazz genre.”
At a Secret Salon in March at Cork’s Wine Bar & Eatery, Dunn invited MOON to sing a jazz song. “I was literally blown away, as was the whole audience. I knew then that a whole night of MOON playing jazz standards and their own compositions would be incredible.”
Dunn says she felt like she had discovered a great talent to showcase that night at Cork’s in Niagara, and the reaction from visitors at the museum was also very positive. “People were so attentive and I got such great feedback from the audience about MOON and their band’s performance. What a pleasure!”
Accompanied by pianist Sasona Olusola and Cam Watson on bass, two musicians who recently joined MOON, the two-hour performance offered not only jazz with a bit of blues, but also some of their own compositions.
As soon as MOON played the first notes of their most famous melodies, the audience reacted enthusiastically – including songs like The look of loveIIt means nothing (if it doesn’t have that swing), and the final number, I have enchanted you.
MOON is also an author and recently gave a Ted Talk on the subject of her book, Breaking the binary. The debut anthology includes poems and photographs and discusses “the collective experiences of intersectionality that arise from existing as both queer and Caribbean across multiple generations.”
MOON spoke briefly at the museum about this background and their music, which is inspired by a diverse heritage.
Dunn also featured MOON’s music on her website: “Playing with the different textures and layers of her voice, MOON’s eclectic style brings you a night of groove and playfulness with soulful jazz vocals over a sensual mix of instruments. From classics like Luxurious life And Moody’s mood for love to more contemporary tunes from artists such as Erykah Badu and Norah Jones, MOON promises to take you on a magical journey and leave you enchanted.”
That promise was fulfilled at the museum, as was another one of Dunn’s, namely that the Secret Series, unlike the jazz festivals she organized, would also be an opportunity for her to sing. And that she did, delighting the audience with her bilingual version – she lived and trained for some time in Paris, France – of Autumn leavesa jazz classic from the 40s.
If there was any downside to the evening’s show, it was the awkward venue in the museum, where the display cases had been moved aside to make room. Despite these drawbacks, however, there was room for more chairs to accommodate a larger audience than expected.
And as Barbara Worthy, museum coordinator for community engagement, told the audience, the museum’s expansion plans include a beautiful space designed specifically for that purpose. She added that “any amount of money thrown in here” to help fund the project’s launch would be greatly appreciated.
Without giving away any secrets, Dunn says she will definitely look for more opportunities to present MOON. For a schedule of JADE events, visit https://www.julietdunn.ca/events-2-1.
