I approached Don’t Tell Mama to see Unsolicited Advice About Life, Love, & Practical Shoes with a sense of anticipation because singer/songwriter Carolyn German had been previously recommended to me by friends who had seen her at open mics around town and suggested I should check her out. I can understand their enthusiasm since they […]
A lucky few who braved torrential rain got to hear The Royal Bopsters’ second set on Wednesday, September 1. The Pangea stage was challenged to make room for four singers and their rhythm section: their close harmonies were echoed in the tight spacing. A legitimate heir to the vocalese tradition—especially Lambert, Hendricks & Ross—these four […]
The elegant Feinstein’s/54 Below, nestled in the heart of the Broadway theatre district, advertises itself as “Broadway’s supper club,” presenting shows by Broadway performers designed to appeal to Broadway audiences. Yet while many of the artists it features bring cabaret acts filled with pop tunes and standards, the room really lived up to its Great […]
Repertoire for the Once and Future American Songbook Article #17 in this ongoing series We learned recently that Beanie Feldstein will headline next year in a Broadway revival of 1964’s Funny Girl. Once again, the name of that musical’s central character, real-life entertainer Fanny Brice (1891-1951), will be on people’s minds and lips. Brice’s career […]
It is a singular pleasure to come across a new jazz release that honors the style and class of an old school album while offering a fresh and exhilarating selection of songs and a personal point of view. That is exactly what Ever Since the World Ended from Lauren White and The Quinn Johnson Trio offers a […]
Just the name, The Boy Band Project, conjures so many possibilities ranging from tongue-in-cheek parody to soaring harmonies, from impossibly romantic ballads to irresistible dance rhythms. In their debut at Feinstein’s/54 Below, the four talented performers (Kevin John Murray, Travis Nesbitt, Christopher Brasfield, Jesse JP Johnson) tried to hit all these buttons and succeeded in […]
A romantically mellow, one-mood CD, Nashville-based singer-songwriter Tanya Dennis’s White Sails Blue Skies is a recording you shouldn’t give up on too soon because, despite their emotional sameness, its tracks grow increasingly more interesting, musically, as the album progresses. Produced and arranged by Dennis, the recording—featuring seven of her own compositions, plus two covers—evolved as […]
Multi-hyphenates are not uncommon on the cabaret scene. Yet while singer-songwriters who also play piano or guitar are easily found, a multi-gifted artist like Chris Saunders is unusual. Hailing from the San Francisco Bay area, he’s an exquisite trumpeter who also sings and composes in blues, soul, and Latin jazz styles. His band’s latest CD, […]
Wilma Baan’s new CD, So Nice, arrives just in time to combat the dog days of summer. This tasteful grouping of standards from the vocal jazz repertoire is a low-key, savvy, delightful refreshment, almost able to conjure breezes where there are none. The singer is assured and comfortable in her surroundings—nothing to prove, nothing to […]
Critical Thoughts: Performers Take Heed! Cabaret Is Back, and So Are Its Faux Pas
After a year and a half of pandemic-induced exile, cabaret performance is at last returning to New York. It has been rewarding to attend a club, imbibe a two-drink minimum and, perhaps, a meal, while being entertained by established performers flexing their long dormant muscles and by newcomers making their long- delayed debuts. I have […]
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