It was a special treat to be able to interview one of my two favorite songwriters (the other being a certain Mr. Sondheim) in advance of his receiving the 2022 ASCAP–Bob Harrington Lifetime Achievement Award. In addition to helping me get to know the man, the interview evolved into a kind of retrospective on the […]
Robert Bannon, a likable and talented singer, took Rewind, the title of his recent show at The Green Room 42, seriously, opening with a videotape collage moving backwards through his life, to the precociously stage-stealing performances of his youth. After the opening number, a rousing “I’m Still Standing” (Elton John, Bernie Taupin), he took the […]
Singer Mark Winkler is the genuine article. To borrow a quote from a classic Blossom Dearie song, “If it were hip to be hep he’d be hep.” He is a laid back, swinging, hip jazz singer and, as his new CD Late Bloomin’ Jazzman highlights, he is one hell of a lyricist. In fact, the recording is […]
Repertoire for the Once and Future American Songbook Article #22 in this ongoing series. This April 24 marks the 80th birthday of Barbra Streisand, a performer who has been an immense influence on and inspiration to those of us who work in and care about cabaret. There will always be some outliers—occasionally, vociferous ones—who don’t […]
The album In the Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel, was released on February 10, 1998. The group was the brainchild of singer/songwriter Jeff Magnum, whose lyrics were in some instances inspired by the writings of Anne Frank. The amalgam of indie rock and art folk has given rise to much acclaim, both […]
Kati Neiheisel’s absolutely charming show, Yesterday…Once More, is a love letter to the Carpenters, the brother and sister duo from Southern California (born in Connecticut) who were known for Karen Carpenter’s unfailing, soothing contralto and a brand of pop—arranged, often written, and masterminded by brother Richard—that produced multiple Top 10 hits in the 1970s. Neiheisel […]
Ever feel like you’re Sondheimed-out? Perhaps, but if it’s Liz Callaway singing the late great master’s songs, as she did recently at Feinstein’s/54 Below in her newest show, To Steve with Love: Liz Callaway Celebrates Sondheim, I guarantee you that she’ll leave you wanting for more. You may already be aware of the personal, professional, […]
The front lounge at Pangea has become a relaxed, friendly hybrid of cabaret and piano bar with no cover and no minimum. The talented duo of Karen Mack and Elliot Roth fits the room and the feel to a proverbial “T.” They are both seasoned pros but here, liberated from the restrictions and familiarity of […]
If you ever get stuck in thinking that the Rodgers & Hammerstein songbook can be dated and dusty, you haven’t yet heard Meg Flather sing from it. With multiple albums as a singer-songwriter, her legit sound is sweet, easy, and perfectly blended—and personal. That’s a tricky thing to do, to sing standards as if you […]
When Betty Buckley entered the stage for her new show at Joe’s Pub, Betty Buckley & Friends, I was brought back to the many times I had seen her at the long-lost Bottom Line (one of the finest musical venues to ever grace this city) working on material for upcoming major engagements. She would be […]
