In Cécile McLorin Salvant’s second concert at this year’s Edinburgh International Festival, the 33-year-old sang her way through a varied programme of show tunes, standards and original compositions with a dazzlingly dynamic quartet. Two nights earlier she had performed the song cycle Ogresse, while the stage was set this time by a grand piano, double bass, drum kit and djembe drums, played by Sullivan Fortner, Yasushi Nakamura, Savannah Harris and Weedie Braimah respectively. 

Salvant centred herself in the middle, creating small, intimate dialogues with each player as they simultaneously deconstructed and enlivened songs from Wizard Of Oz, The Threepenny Opera, Funny Girl, Burt Bacharach and Rhiannon Giddens, with a spontaneity which only the most experienced of performers can deliver. Fortner’s renowned, singular staccato touch on the keys matched the distinct percussive quality of this set, which leaned more into complex rhythm and texture than perfect harmony.

Salvant’s breathtaking vocals provide a smorgasbord of sounds with which to tell stories, as she sparingly picks a growl here or a hair-raising belt there. Original compositions sung in French, including ‘Fenestra’ and ‘Doudou’, were particular highlights, bolstered by an injection of Latin rhythms and deep grooves. A few more of Salvant’s own songs would have been welcome, but her crowd-pleasing setlist of more familiar tunes satisfied this year’s International Festival ethos appropriately. 

Cécile McLorin Salvant reviewed at Usher Hall as part of Edinburgh International Festival.