As soon as we sat down at our table, we were introduced to the maître d, who for all of us really made the evening. He had such a good vibe and was continually singing and dancing - even when he was topping up our glasses or taking orders for cocktails. He really put a smile on all our faces. We started with a round of porn star martinis which were delicious, followed by numerous bottles of Prosecco.
The Green Room is hosted by Leo Green who, if you don't know already, is a hugely respected sax player, and the son of the late and legendary writer, broadcaster and musician, Benny Green. Leo has grown up in a world of music and has worked with some of the all-time music greats, travelling all over the world playing with a host of A-listers including Jack Savoretti and Paul McCartney, not to mention rock’n’roll icon Jerry Lee Lewis, who once declared Leo to be “The greatest sax player I have ever worked with.”
We were there for the second show of the evening and as the clock hit ten, Leo burst into the bar from backstage, sax in hand and the music began. Sharing the stage with Leo was Matt Holland on trumpet. Matt has been performing all around the world for the last 20 years with the likes of Van Morrison, Lisa Stansfield, Marti Pellow, The Hoosiers & Burt Bacharach. Joining Leo and Matt were a group of skilled musicians on double bass, bass guitar, drums, keyboards and guitar. Plus, two guest female vocalists, Emma and Tess both with distinctly different but equally beautiful bluesy voices and singer Nick who added lovely depth and tone. This was an incredible line up of musicians and as soon as the music began it was evident how talented they all were and how well they worked together.
It wasn’t long before everyone was up on their feet and Nick and Leo were out in the crowd. My friend Daisy enjoyed being personally serenaded by Nick. I felt privileged to have such a front seat to a group of musicians with this amount of talent and experience. Together they played some swinging sounds, old and new tunes each with a unique jazzy, bluesy, funky and soulful twist, with Leo’s honking sax and the warm and rich sounds of the trombone adding to the charm. A highlight for us was the contemporary take on many classics, including Bon Jovi, Living on a Prayer and Dolly Parton 9-5.
After what only felt like ten minutes (but was actually an hour) Leo announced they were about to do their last song (boohoo) and to stay for a bit of a dance as he took to the decks. This is a very intimate venue and even as we continued to dance, we watched as the musicians clocked off and said their goodbyes. Leo chatted to guests and kept the dancing vibes going. We had a good girly dance to some of the old classic tunes. I could have danced all night (I believe you can party until 2), but sadly, it was time to head home.
This venue is quite new on the live music scene and I really hope it’s here to stay, becoming a go-to destination for live music. I will definitely be back.
