David Marino performed at Crazy Coqs, London.
Star rating: five stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
David Marino’s solo appearance at Crazy Coqs proved to be an evening of uncommon polish and emotional immediacy. The 26-year-old French-Canadian singer – best known as a finalist on The Voice Canada and currently appearing as Maxence in Les Demoiselles de Rochefort in Paris – offered a performance of striking assurance, charm and musical intelligence.
Blessed with a rich, velvety baritone and an instinctive grasp of phrasing, Marino sings with a maturity that far exceeds his years and his youthful looks. His top notes arrive effortlessly, his dynamics are carefully judged and his emotional delivery never tips into excess. The intimate Crazy Coqs room was visibly captivated throughout, the atmosphere oscillating between buoyant warmth and near-reverent awe.
The setlist was thoughtfully curated, moving fluidly between jazz standards, Great American Songbook staples and French chanson. A swinging, confident ‘I Love Being Here With You’ set the tone, followed by elegant Gershwin interpretations: ‘A Foggy Day’, ‘’S Wonderful’ and later in the evening, ‘I Got Rhythm’.
A particularly affecting rendition of Rodger and Hart’s ‘Where or When’, revealing Marino’s interpretive depth, was followed by two nods to British culture: an amusing ‘And Her Mother Came Too’ by Ivor Novello, with audience participation, and a wonderfully arranged ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’ (Paul McCartney).
The French repertoire was handled with equal authority: Charles Aznavour’s ‘For Me… Formidable’ sparkled with wit, while ‘Caruso’, sung flawlessly in Italian as a tribute to his grandmother, was a genuine showstopper. ‘Dancing on a Dime’ featured Marino’s tap dancing debut. The next step would be real tap shoes, but the floor of the Crazy Coqs stage would not really allow for that!
One of the evening’s most moving moments came with a tender, restrained reading of Sondheim’s ‘Not While I’m Around’, delivered with such simplicity that the room fell completely silent.
Other highlights were an impeccable rendition of Michel Legrand’s ‘I Will Wait for You’ from The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, using the French lyrics, and ‘You Must Believe in Spring’, the English version of ‘La Chanson de Maxence’, from The Young Girls of Rochefort, in a much more flattering key than the one used in the show at the Lido in Paris.
As a closing, Piaf’s ‘Hymn to Love’ carried gravitas with a spectacular last note, and the encore, ‘A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square’, wrapped the night in a glow of nostalgic intimacy, referencing again the city he was so happy to perform in for the first time.
The musical support was exemplary. Pianist Fraser Urquhart offered elegant, sensitive accompaniment; Joe Dessauer’s drumming, rich in subtle brushwork; and Darren McCarthy’s double bass provided a warm, grounded pulse. Together, the trio created a classic jazz framework that enhanced rather than overshadowed the vocals.
Already, Marino carries himself like a seasoned artist: charismatic without being showy, versatile without feeling unfocused and deeply connected to the material he sings.
Whether navigating Gershwin, Sondheim, French chanson or Italian classics, he brings a sense of ease and sincerity that is increasingly rare – and his boyish charm doesn’t hurt!
An artist to watch closely, Marino’s concert on 27 February in Montreal is already almost sold out, and I can’t wait for confirmation of his Paris solo concert debut at Le Bal Blomet. Until then, we can always see him in the extended run of The Girls of Rochefort at the Théâtre du Lido in Paris until the beginning of 14 June 2026.
Patrick Honoré
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