Earl Okin

If you ever have an opportunity to organize a musical event, invite Earl
Okin - spats@spats.demon.co.uk - British; a great musician and showman. It
had been a long time since I witnessed an artist win a crowd's favours in
two minutes. Earl only had fifteen, so he had to!
 
This happened last night at the North Sea Jazz Festival in The Hague. His
music? You have to find this out for yourself. He sings (with a beautiful
voice, perfect for the Brasilian/Jobim type of Bossa Nova songs he does). He
plays guitar and piano. (He didn't play piano at North Sea, but I have his
Pitter Panther Patter and Blood Count on CD. Brilliant. Delivering the
message, with good taste and ample technique).
 
A real treat is his 'voice trumpet': he can make those fantastic sounds that
helped make the Mills Brothers famous. Earl's inspiration here is clearly
the early Ellington horns. He can do an astonishing Whetsol. But he also did
a brief Cootie, Brown and Bigard. Earl's instrumental imitations are to my
ears art - not just 'funny' or a novelty-type trick. They're too good for
that. It's quality, for lack of a better word. How to incorporate Ellington
in your music and make it work? Check out Earl.
 
And yes, he does wear spats in public.
 
Loek Hopstaken.
(Duke-lym DUKE ELLINGTON LIST) - Duke-Lym Website List

The Festival is really under way. Earl Okin is back for his 11th consecutive year. He is, if anything, funnier than ever, just as amazing on both guitar and piano, and his 'trumpet' style is still mind blowing.

To a most appreciative audience he exercised his magic again. Age does not matter for he appeals to all from 17 to senility.

This year's show is 'Nothing To Do With Sex Whatsoever' and if you believe that you'll believe anything. For much of the time you think he's only ad-libbing, but slowly realise that you are in the presence of a master of the art of cabaret.

The man is unmissable as singer, songwriter, Jazz musician, comedian and, possibly my favourite this year, as a dance-track singer.

He's a joy! He is classic! He is a must!

Russell Hunter.
- The Evening News (Edinburgh)

The Fringe wouldn't be the same, would it, without Mr. Okin? Thus is his 12th successive visit and, for me, it's his most enjoyable show so far. With his nonchalant chat, sophisticated humour, witty lyrics and perfectly economic guitar/keyboard work, he still has an air of the strolling troubadour doubling London accountant about him.

And in case you don't particularly like the show: 'I want you to know that I have the best pre-show background tapes.' Ella Fitzgerald appropriately enough, with a song called 'How Long Has This Been Going On?' and Nat 'King' Cole entertain before curtain up.

There's Okin simulated trumpet too. Hence the show's title, although he is wickedly saucy with it. Don't go home without hearing his riotous send-up of Antonio Carlos Jobim and, as he put it, for the man who is not getting his share, a song he calls 'Try Me Soon'. Can I award a SIXTH star?!

Rating. *****

John Gibson.
- The Evening News (Edinburgh)

Earl Okin is a hoot!

A pom on the fringe of greatness, Okin has a neat line in understated patter to punctuate his music making. Glib, naughty and sometimes daft, this Londoner massages mediocrity in a way which not only makes it acceptable, but which makes it funny, very funny.

He also has the ability to make very good music, and does that with panache. And you get him on the cheap, he has in his musical storehouse a trumpet, cornet, Flugelhorn, Clarinet and Trombone, all done with his mouth, and he is so good, you would swear he uses electronic aids. Okin moves from blues to swing to Bossa Nova on Guitar and piano. His version of Ellington's 1928 Black Beauty was brilliant!

The highlight was his hit Mango, a juicy number of implausible but very innuendos. His encore disco version brought the house done, and the applause was deserved.

Peter Kitchin
- The News (Wellington, NZ)