Live Review: Miguel Atwood-Ferguson Ensemble

Watching Miguel Atwood-Ferguson and his ensemble is a remarkable experience. Along with a smattering of talented local and international musicians, including members of band Hiatus Kaiyote, the LA native treats the lucky guests to a breathtaking, uplifting performance, one which the attendees might agree could be in the running for Melbourne's gig of the year.

While Atwood-Ferguson is a composer, DJ, arranger and plays multiple instruments, for this performance he shows the audience what he is truly best at – playing the violin. The classically trained prodigy began playing at the age of four.

It might be the smell of jazz in the air, but the Hi-Fi bar feels different. The stage looks smaller, the venue feels intimate. Most of the crowd is gathered on the floor near the stage and on the stairs.

They start with a version of John Coltrane's Living Space, the cruisy, extended introduction builds and builds, and the extent of Atwood-Ferguson's talent is revealed. Not only has he converted musical classics of all genres into his own work of art, his fingers move up and down his violin at an incredible speed.

The show jumps from some laidback Ethiopian jazz from Mulatu, to J Dilla's Untitled (Fantastic). Guest vocalist Elana Stone replaces Sophia Brous, singing a powerful version of the trippy Tomorrow Never Knows by The Beatles. She's tiny, but her huge voice is reminiscent of Moloko's: strong and solid.

Dressed in glittery threads and sporting an eccentric haircut, vocalist Nai Palm truly blows the audience away with her presence and her voice. Her cover of Bjork's Sun In My Mouth is dedicated to her mum, as it's the anniversary of her death. Initially she sounds remarkably similar to Bjork, but throughout the evening's performance, elements of her voice are reminiscent of Amy Winehouse, Lauryn Hill and Billie Holiday.

The sax solo from Silent Jay gets cheers and whistles from the crowd, as does Simon Mavin's handiwork on the keys. A woman dancing near the front of the stage spins around, her eyes closed and her arms outstretched. Like many others, she is being completely uplifted by this music. Stone and Palm remain on the stage, their harmonies providing a sweet accompaniment to Atwood-Ferguson's strings as he bounces and jumps in time with the beats. Nai Palm sings Summer Soft by Stevie Wonder, and she looks so deeply engrossed in her beautiful voice she barely notices the crowd. There are songs that are familiar, which sound like theme music for movies and soap operas – uplifting, happy, cute Disney-like moments which raise arm hair and transport listeners to a sublime state.

Atwood-Ferguson says, “This is my first time here, and I love it. I want to stay for a whole month.” With the announcement at the end of the show that he will be playing some tunes at Section 8 the following day, as well as hosting a composition workshop, it seems that he would if he could. “I will release my album soon,” he tells the crowd. If the show is anything to go by, it will be a must-have for the collection.