Mention the name Curtis Stigers to people of a certain age, and it will conjure up images of a long-haired white soul man, saxophone in hand. But that was twenty-five years ago. The fact is that he was discovered in a jazz trio before he signed to Arista back in 1990, and has been recording jazz for Concord Records for the last fifteen years. The saxophone is still there, but the hair these days is short, and flecked with grey.

Stigers once told me that he initially fell in love with the most technically gifted jazz singers, such as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Mark Murphy, and whilst he still loves their music, he gradually found himself drawn towards the great storytellers. He started with Sinatra, who is still an important influence, and in the late 1980s, discovered Chet Baker. Chet, of course, did not have Sinatra’s voice, but if you listen to his vocal recordings for Pacific Jazz in the 1950s, had a relaxed delivery that worked well on many of the standards. “It seemed to come out of him without much guile, without much artifice,” Stigers explained. “It knocked me out”.

That love of storytelling permeates his recent recordings, which include a number of jazz standards, but also some well-chosen pop songs, sung in a more jazzy style. His most recent albums, Let’s Go Out Tonight (2012) and Hooray For Love (2014), includes jazz standards such as Love Is Here To Stay (Gershwin) and If I Were A Bell (Loesser), as well as covers of songs by Dylan (Things Have Changed), Crowded House (Into Temptation) and Steve Earle (Valentine’s Day).

It’s a potent combination, as witnessed by the fact that Stigers was able to sell out six nights at Ronnie Scott’s, London’s premier jazz club. But what is it that makes this combination so potent? 

First of all, it’s the voice. It’s warm and weathered, expressive and soulful, and sounds equally at home on Sinatra’s finger-snapping You Make Me Feel So Young and the soulful I Wonder Why, which appeared on his debut album. Secondly, it’s the craft. Stigers admits that he studied what it is that makes a person a jazz singer, as opposed to a pop singer, and has clearly learned his lessons well. He has a relaxed delivery, often lingering slightly behind the beat, and lingers over the lyrics, “letting the song do the work”. Thirdly, he chooses his material well. Most of the popular songs he chooses work well in a jazz context, including I’ll Be Home by Randy Newman, You Inspire Me by Nick Lowe, and Fools In Love by Joe Jackson. It’s also worth noting that Stigers is a fine writer himself, as demonstrated by You’re All That Matters To Me, which was a hit back in 1991, and Hooray For Love, which holds its own amongst the jazz standards sprinkled throughout the set. And then there’s his fine band, with Matthew Fries on piano and James Schofield on guitar the standout performers.

Last, but not least, Stigers has what it takes to turn good material into a great show, his stage patter as sharp as his skinny-lapelled suit and pocket square, joking about his advancing years, the audience’s ability to sing-along, and name-checking English beers that he enjoys.

Highlights of the first set on Friday night included a gorgeous version of San Diego Serenade by Tom Waits, which included some beautiful bowed bass as the song ended, Dylan’s Things Have Changed and a soulful version of I Wonder Why.

The only complaint was that with two sets to be played that night, he left the audience wanting more. But isn’t that always the way with a fine show?