A sold-out audience savoured a ninety-minute high-octane celebration of the astonishing songbook of soul-rock legend Tina Turner, Saturday October 14, 2023, with the Acoustic Tina Show at Jimmy Joy’s Music Room in Port Sydney.
In a memorable performance, Huntsville singer Leaynne Connolly, powered through the greatest hits and lesser-known catalogue of the renowned Turner, who commanded world-wide attention as the “Queen of Rock and Roll”, selling more than 100 million records throughout her illustrious career.
From the moment she hit the stage, Connolly not only commanded and directed the attention of the audience through a riveting and compelling tribute to the late Turner, but exceeded all expectations by lifting the songs up into a stratosphere of her own, interpreting the songs in her own fashion and firmly fixing the spotlight on her own extraordinary talents.
Accompanied by the Acoustic Sessions Band, led by Sean Cotton, the Acoustic Tina Show turned a tribute show into a heartfelt, delightful experience with their superb, flawless musicianship. With lead guitarist George Axon, Michael Lopez on bass and Chris Robinson on horns, it was hard to believe that these songs were never meant to be heard and played this way—with only acoustic instrumentation. In the hands of these select, skilled musicians, the songs became renewed, refreshed and instantly relatable despite the decades that have passed since they were chart toppers, demonstrating the universal connection that Turner’s unique talent imbued into these memorable classics.
Although the spotlight deservedly belonged to Connolly, it was the incredible singing duo of Tamica Herod and Liz Anderson, who soared without wings and lifted every song up to increasingly higher heights, that made this show unforgettable. Nuanced and subtle in their backing vocal choices, Herod and Anderson, who both performed solo songs themselves, captured the magic that was Turner and proved, beyond any doubt, Tina Turner’s great inspirational insight; that the female spirit can overcome great obstacles and illustrate the soulfulness needed to live a happy and courageous life.
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Absolutely loved this concert. Highly recommend seeing this show when the group performs in Burks Falls on November 18.
Message for Douglas McLean:
Thank you for writing this lovely, supportive article about our show! I feel very privileged to have the opportunity to work with these fine musicians! We are having a blast performing this show. Tina Turner was truly a legend.
https://doppleronline.ca/huntsville/jimmy-joys-music-room/
Where is Jimmy Joys…….Address ?
Wow! This review really made me wish I had been there. Fantastic writing.