Candles flicker across round tables set out on the floor, the room softened by low, purple lighting. Jazz drifts through the hall as guests arrive, a signal of what is to come. The atmosphere is immediate. Intimate and relaxed.
April is Jazz Appreciation Month, and it feels like the right backdrop for something like The Jazz Room by Fever. It is an experience that leans less on spectacle and more on mood. Set up to echo the feel of a classic jazz club, the room is filled with soft lighting and a full house of jazz standards lovers.
From the outset, the tone is clear. This is a night shaped by the music of Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong. The band move with an ease that comes from knowing the material inside out, allowing space for improvisation without ever losing the thread.
At the centre of it is Bangor singer Harry McGarritty, whose presence anchors the room without overpowering it. There is a measured confidence in the delivery, and he has the audience enchanted from the start.
The programme moves through traditional standards and familiar territory with a steady confidence. One of the standout points of the night is a superb rendition of My Way, delivered with surprising vocal strength.
And for those who missed it, there is another chance to hear Harry at The Jazz Room in June.
