CD Review: Rebecca Luker and Sally Wilfert, “All the Girls”
When Rebecca Luker passed away recently it sent ripples of sadness through the theatre and cabaret communities. All the Girls, the new CD with Luker and Sally Wilfert, serves as a heartbreaking reminder of what a tremendous loss this was. It is also a joyous celebration of two of Broadway’s finest voices, in solos and duets […]
CD Review: Kenneth Gartman “We Need a Little Christmas”
There is an open-hearted, childlike simplicity and beauty to Kenneth Gartman’s sound that is quite endearing and a perfect match for We Need a Little Christmas, a holiday release filled with the warmth of an open fire and the good will of friends and family gathered together. Add to that a thoughtful connection to the […]
CD Review: Liz Callaway “Comfort and Joy: An Acoustic Christmas
A mellow CD of Christmas songs featuring vocalist Liz Callaway accompanied by the quiet acoustic guitar-playing of Peter Calo, Comfort and Joy: An Acoustic Christmas may be the perfect soundtrack for what this year will surely be a low-voltage, less-festive-than-usual holiday season. One might think a solo singer supported only by a guitarist wouldn’t generate […]
CD Review: Susan Tobocman “Touch & Go”
Singer/composer/arranger Susan Tobocman has released her latest CD Touch & Go. It has an intriguing selection of songs that are terrifically performed and played. What is immediately unusual about the project is that the singer created all the arrangements with an assist on two of them by David Tobocman (keeping it in the family). The Latin […]
Judy Collins: A Video Retrospective
Just before Suzanne Vega presented Judy Collins with her Bob Harrington Lifetime Achievement Award in March, 2019 at the 34th annual Bistro Awards, we showed this video retrospective that we created for the acclaimed singer-songwriter and Grammy Hall of Famer, in recognition of her six decades of musical accomplishment. The award was sponsored by ASCAP. […]
Highlights from the 2018 Bistro Award Show
Watch highlights from our 33rd annual Bistro Awards show (2018) that features André De Shields (Lifetime Achievement), Sheila Jordan (Outstanding Contributions to the Art of Jazz), Marta Sanders (Consummate Cabaret Artistry), Shemekia Copeland (Producer’s Award), among 19 other individual artists. Bistro Award house band includes Daryl Kojak (piano), Ritt Henn (bass), and Rex Benincasa (drums). […]
The 2020 Honoree Roll Call: Gretchen Reinhagen
Gretchen Reinhagen’s latest CD, Take It with Me, brings a new energy and interpretation to contemporary songs made famous by others. Hear her version of Stevie Wonder’s “All in Love Is Fair,” performed at the 2020 Bistro Awards on March 9. Tracy Stark accompanies on piano, Ritt Henn on bass, and Dwayne Cook Broadnax on […]
The 2020 Honoree Roll Call: Stephanie Trudeau
Stephanie Trudeau transforms herself into Mexican ranchera artist Chavela Vargas in her show, Chavela: Think of Me, which won the 2020 Bistro Award for Outstanding Tribute Show. Vargas, who broke gender barriers in both a highly macho society and music world, is portrayed by Trudeau with compelling vocals and visuals. Here’s her performance of “El” Último […]
The Musical Marriage Continues: Your Musical Director and You (Part Two)
Article #10 in this running series. For this half of our focus on musical directors (just in case you missed Part One: read it here), I posed some challenging questions to a number of them along with a few singers. We’ll begin with Daryl Kojak, who has been the musical director for most of the Bistro Awards […]
The Musical Marriage: Your Musical Director and You (Part One)
Article #9 in this running series. Your musical director is probably your first and most primary connection as a cabaret artist. In fact, if you don’t have a director and/or writers with whom you’re working (both of which we will be addressing in future pieces), they may very well be your only collaborator in the […]
Article #8 in this running series. “I’ve learned how special the audience is, the feeling that you get from people being right in front of you, becoming part of your act. You hear every word, cough, and sneeze. They tell you if they’re amused or moved by your interpretation and how they perceive you and […]
Thinking of Doing a Tribute or Themed Show? Then, You Gotta Get an Arc!
Article #7 in this running series. Let’s say you’ve been in love with Judy Garland and the songs she made famous for years, and you want to do a tribute to her in your next cabaret show. Or, you think Janis Ian is an underrated songwriter and you want to do a night of all […]
