Liza Pullman - The Heart of It. The Other Palace, 12 Palace Street, London SW1 23 & 30 January 2023. 5***** stars. William Russell

Delighful, delicious, delectable, de-lovely and de-limit Liza Pulman is everything the song says - a chanteuse who can deliver a song with style, heart and passion and manipulate her audience the while. Her Heart of It show consists of songs from her latest album and some from previous shows. Randy Newman, Neil Diamond, Michel Legrand, Fats Waller are all there as well as a couple of lesser known but still living ballads by Irving Berlin, What'll I do and How About Me. The first half ends with Nobody Does it Better and no song could be more apt. She ends with Happy Days Are Here Again, which has an edge to it, and then for the compulsory encore sends her audience out to Bye, bye Blackbird. But it is not all Liza. She is backed by a splendid six piece band under musical director Joseph Atkins every one of whom gets their chance to shine and some - especially the trumpet player - she takes head on challenging them in song. The guitarist gets firmly put in his place for not putting the chair she has insisted he being forward to sit in - he ha moved it back a bit - to where he found it, leaving her almost about to sit on nothing. Pullman can be wistful in the likes of You Didn't Bring Me flowers or Some Other Time she can belt a number with the best and she can surprise. Who else chosing to sing a song by Harold Arlen would go for If I Only Had a Brain? As cabaret performer this lady, part of Fascinating Aida, has a track record to marvel at and on the evidence of this latest stint she is on top of her form. It is a case of beg, borrow or steal.

Band

Joseph Atkins: Musical Director, piano and accordion.

Bass: Tom Mark.

Drums: Rich Craig.

Guitar: Adam Chinery.

Trumpet: Steve Walker.

Saz/clasinet: Rich Pardy.

Sound: Bill Keown.

Lighting: Daniel Carter-Brennan.