Ivan Ave - Live at The Jazz Cafe April 2023

What better way to spend a Thursday evening than by rocking up to everyone’s favourite North London spot, The Jazz Cafe, and moving your hips to the smooth sounds of Ivan Ave showcasing his new album ‘All Season Gear’? I couldn’t think of a better way so off I went.

To be honest it’s a disservice to call Ave smooth. I mean, his beats are smooth but they’re so much more, as demonstrated by his choice of stage partner: a nice chap clutching a bass introduced to us as ‘Martin’. Martin was funky.

As a performer Ave is humble, engaging, talented and funny. Genuinely funny. Also he has this charming way of delivering lines that makes you feel like he just made them up on the spot. Except at the ends of the tracks where he’s definitely just making it up on the spot and the effect is kind of fun nonsense that somehow, somehow does sort of make sense.

Halfway through the show he put on a beat and conducted a survey. Yup. He made the risky move of asking the public of the country of ‘Boaty McBoatface’ fame  to help him name his next track. I can’t say there was a clear winner but it was a fun exercise (I quite liked ‘Wheelchair Drive-by) He at least got a name for his autobiography ‘Spicy White Boy’.

After the encore he came down to spend time with the fans and I have no doubt that his fantastic engagement on stage with the crowd probably doubled the amount of people who wanted to speak to him - there were so many I’m a little worried he might still be there. He left you feeling like you would have the best time just kicking it with him or, at the very least, that you appreciate his music even more now you know he’s a real character.

Words: Kate Vice