EU welcomed an very interesting bassist and French – Caribbean vocalist Adi Oasis Quartet at our Europe Jazz Blues Festival 2025. This is part of the framework for promoting young names within the European Union, which is one of our main goals.
Futuristic retro funk in fast forward. Adi Oasis – vocalist, bassist, Ben Hoffmann – keyboardist, Aylwin Steele – guitarist and Dru McLean – drummer simply worked wonders.
“That concert was a bit short,” I overhear a middle-aged man sitting across from me on the subway say.
When I asked if he was at the The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, Lisbon, Portugal Concert Hall tonight, he confirmed it was, adding that the music was great, but there could have been two or three more songs.
Some people in the cozy, heated jazz scene were a bit surprised when the French-Caribbean bassist and singer left the stage shortly before 10:30 after 70 minutes, including an encore.
One would have wished for more of the funky, soulful, and energetic sound of the forty-year-old Frenchwoman.
The vinyl is sold out, but the socks are still available
A sumptuous, soft sound from the backing band opens the evening. After a few minutes, the French-Caribbean beauty practically floats onto the stage and blends into the musical fabric with her wobbling bass playing.
The visual impression is truly impressive, and after a short time, it becomes clear that her bass and vocal skills are also quite remarkable.
Her first announcement, after greeting the sold-out audience, prompts a few laughs when she points out that the vinyl records at the merchandising stand are sold out, but there are still plenty of socks available.
No one seems to have cold feet this evening; given the current temperatures and the socks not being a top seller, it’s only logical that they aren’t.
But the mood and atmosphere are fantastic from the start, and the musician captivates the audience from the very first song.
A fearless, vulnerable, and political personality
Born in Paris in 1989 as Adeline Michele Petricien, the musician initially worked as Adeline and released her first album under that name in 2018.
She subsequently collaborated with various artists, including Lenny Kravitz. In 2023, she changed her stage name to Adi Oasis and released her album “Lotusglow,” which she presented at the Montreux Jazz Festival.
A large portion of the songs performed this evening are from this album. Oasis describes this album as both very personal and very political.
“This album is fearless and at the same time vulnerable and political, because I am a Black immigrant; these are my truths.”
Due to her spectacular bass playing and outstanding vocal abilities, she is a welcome guest at many jazz festivals, including this year’s jazzopen.
Her music is characterized by a bright, funky bass and her high vocal range, which blends the whole into a unique retro-futuristic sound.
Teething problems and reserved soloists
It’s probably due to the intense heat in the club that the artist’s voice initially sounds a bit thin and the high notes still sound a bit strained, but after three songs, her voice soars to astonishing heights with great authority.
Some of her songs come across as quite poppy, bordering on mainstream, but time and again, she and her musicians find their bearings and drift back into a rich soul-funk-jazz that leaves no one sitting still.
In this case, it would certainly have been advantageous to leave the club empty for this concert. The band remains discreetly reserved, and only after the sixth track does the first notable solo come, delivered all the more powerfully by drummer Dru McLean.
On “Dumpall the Guns,” the eighth track of the evening, Ben Hoffmann on keys and Aylwin Steel also get to play solo for a few minutes.
Vocally, somewhere between Whitney Houston and Tina Turner
During the final part of the concert, the bass is put aside and Oasis once again pulls out all the stops with their vocal abilities.
She dances lasciviously “Tina Turner-like” at the edge of the stage across the speakers, and her voice occasionally rises to the heights, sounding like a Whitney Houston.
Now it’s finally party time, and drummer McLean repeatedly calls for: “Make some noise!” The audience is thrilled by this vocal performance.
These days, there are some exceptional female bassists on the music scene, such as Ida Nielsen, Tal Wilkenfeld, Nik West, and Rhonda Smith, but vocally, Oasis is arguably the undisputed leader.
When the band ends its regular program after about an hour, astonishment can be seen on the listeners’ faces, and a glance at the clock causes some to frown.
Well, quality doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the length of the performance, but they could have done with a bit more than an hour plus two short encores of this energetic, complex sound. Maybe next time!
