Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *

The Paul McCartney auditorium may have been still and as quiet as a family of gently snoring mice as they snoozed under the duvet before the arrival on stage of Grace Eliza, however they soon joined in the loud appreciation for the young R&B singer as she blistered through a set at the L.I.P.A showcase with tremendous ambition.

It is an ambition that will serve her well in the coming years and it is one that also matches the depth of beauty that is very much in evidence as the audience almost scrambled to the front of the stage to get a full look at the raven haired songstress.

Being backed by a gracious and generous band is no sure way to measure success, especially in the field of Rhythm and Blues, however filter out the way the music tempts you to smile, forget the hypnotic flow of the mysterious cord and the subtlety of saxophone and what you are left with is the truth behind the singer.

In many ways the music can mask the vocalist, it can enhance it to a point where you are left slightly at odds on how to justify your enjoyment; not so in Eliza Grace, what you have without the craft of Blues ringing its cool bell is the realisation that this is a woman of substance to whom life, no matter what it throws at her, will overcome it and ram the words of doubters down their throats; she will at least do it with feeling and reassurance whilst doing so though.

With a huge set list to get through, Eliza Grace and her band gave a sterling performance, one filled with fantasy, exploration and the whim of the sultry voice echoing down the ear. In songs such as the opening number Blessing In Disguise, Invisible Scars, Memories and Flick The Switch, Eliza Grace performed with the desire so becoming the genre and one that throughout typified the mood of the evening ahead.

A name to watch out for as L.I.P.A. once more showcases the best of its yearly intake and graduating musicians; Eliza Grace is a woman of substance and breathtaking voice.

Ian D. Hall