Cabaret

Crooner of the Sea

Brandon Judell — Thu, 06 Jun 2024 21:52:43 +0000

Crooner of the Sea Brandon Judell June 6, 2024 - 17:52

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Here I am, sitting at the helm of the World Voyager. Day 3 of my itinerary. We left the coast of Spain yesterday. Tomorrow France.

Yes, this is the first time if someone told me I was "at sea," it would be a compliment.

The determined waters of the Bay of Biscay pound away as I sip my third coffee of the morning for medicinal purposes. The sky is one huge blue-grey cloud with slivers of white. No coast in sight in any direction.

So, what could be a more appropriate time to recall Michael Craig Shapiro's never-less-than-engaging performance of last night? At 9:30 PM in the Atlas Lounge, Showtime! A New York Cabaret began for those who signed up for the Atlas Ocean Voyage "10-Night Lisbon-to London" trek.

Now for some Shapiro background. This attendee of the University of Colorado Boulder, when not letting loose vocally, is this yacht's cruise director. He also conducts weddings, organizes cocktail parties, and even hosts gastronomic pastry demonstrations. Throughout the day and night, he's seen everywhere on the boat's seven levels, making sure there's not a morose passenger within ten feet of himself.

On dry land, Mr. Shapiro also acts. In the past, he's appeared in vehicles such as the NoHo Arts Center's Yo Ho Ho! A Pirate's Christmas in North Hollywood—and I believe he was somehow involved with Pest Control: The Musical. Doublecheck that.

Well, let's start the show.

The blue-jacketed, serenely starched, white-shirted Mr. Shapiro opened with some advice he garnered from Tony Bennett: make sure your set is no longer than 45 minutes, or the audience will leave. He followed that advice, and no one left. Instead, there were screams of "Encore!" which were succumbed to.

His track list was perfectly chosen for his audience, including old chestnuts from Cole Porter to Kander and Ebb to Mama Cass, but as essayist Joseph Epstein noted, "Familiarity breeds content." Clearly, in every seat, on every couch, there were folks mouthing the lyrics of the chosen tunes.

There was a heavenly "Stairway to Heaven," a wry "They All Laughed," and a quite persuasive "You Can't Take That Away from Me."

Mr. Shapiro then captured the winsome romance of George Gershwin's "He Loves and She Loves":

"He loves and she loves and they love,

So why can't you love and I love too?

Birds love and bees love and whispering trees love,

And that's what we both should do!"

(When you have time, check out Ella Fitzgerald's take.)

Two songs later came "Just a Gigolo," Irving Caesar's 1929 adaptation of the Austrian tango "Schöner Gigolo, armer Gigolo." You might recall David Lee Roth's hit version. For this rhythmic treat, the singer pulled a traveler from San Francisco, the quite game Ms. May Lee, who was transformed in seconds from being a just delightful young woman into not a bad copy of Ginger Rogers.

A pitch-perfect "Dream a Little Dream" reminded me of a recent article declaring Mama Cass did not die from eating a ham sandwich. A sly "Sara Lee" made me hunger for the poundcake of my youth, while Mr. Shapiro's poignant rendition of "When You Wish Upon a Star" especially showed off his vocal skills. "New York, New York," meanwhile, had a sassy blonde with a drink in each hand bopping to her seat as she sang along. The audience, as noted, went wild, and the encore was a solid "My Way" that came with a concise history of the song.

Accompanied on the piano by the pleasing Dan Murphy, the song fest had now ended, and a highly contented crowd climbed up one flight to the Dome to view the stars and the moon and feel the gusts of Mediterranean winds upon their smiling faces.

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The Princely Crown

Jay Reisberg — Thu, 30 May 2019 17:30:05 +0000

The Princely Crown Jay Reisberg May 30, 2019 - 13:30

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photo credit: STACY SULLIVAN

Steve Ross

Gotta Have Hart and Hammerstein

Birdland Jazz Club, New York

May 6, 2019

This performance by the man known as The Crown Prince of New York Cabaret was simply superb from start to finish! The evening went by so swiftly that I was surprised at its conclusion, that I had been seated for an hour and twenty minutes. Steve Ross, with the relaxed warmth and presence that only a truly seasoned performer possesses, regaled the packed house with twenty-nine songs affirming not only the brilliance of lyricists, Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein, but Ross’ own total mastery of skillfully nuanced song interpretation both as a singer and pianist.

At one point, Ross suggested that if Hart and Hammerstein were poets, that Hart could be called an "urban" poet whereas Hammerstein could be called a "pastoral" poet. This notion was abundantly clarified, as Mr. Ross presented a broad selection of lyrics written these two titans of both theater and film musicals, emphasizing their differences and convergences.

In addition, Ross doesn't just sit at the piano and sing song after song. He introduces each with words about context and history--and this allows the New York cabaret audience, (who have heard many of these songs repeatedly) to hear them anew. This renewed listening is amplified by Ross' thoughtfully composed harmonic settings, coupled with his powerfully understated way with the lyrics.

As Ross made clear, Larry Hart could indeed be heavy, even hardboiled with his humor, as with "He and She" from The Boys from Syracuse, which tells of an evolving, or rather, undulating unconventional couple. Hammerstein, on the other hand, was much softer--yes, and even poetic regarding male-female doings (as with "The Folks Who Live on the Hill" from the Paramount 1927 film, High, Wide and Handsome). Yet Hart would hit the poignant note in his own way with a song like "My Romance" from the 1935 Broadway show, Jumbo; "Isn't it Romantic" from the 1931 film Love Me Tonight, which makes appearances in even the most contemporary of films. Hammerstein wasn't big on broad humor, but Hart could go wild with it as in "The Roxy Music Hall" from Broadway's 1938 production of I Married an Angel.

Ross pointed out that when it comes to love songs, Hart, being renowned for his personal miseries, could be considered at his best with songs of "failed love," such as "Glad to Be Unhappy" from 1936's On Your Toes, and the sad "Nobody’s Heart" from the 1942 Broadway musical By Jupiter. Yet Hart could go decidedly on the upswing with a rousing song like "With a Song in My Heart" from 1929's Spring is Here.

Both Hart and Hammerstein's output was staggeringly enormous. Ross astutely selected songs which represented the range of their huge catalogues as much as could possibly be included in an hour plus show. In a presentation that featured one standout song after another, there are several songs which bear special mention. I particularly enjoyed a medley of Hart's songs about New York which included:
Manhattan" from The Garrick Gaieties (1925), "Way Out West on West End Avenue" from Babes in Arms (1937), and "Gotta Get Back to New York" from the film Hallelujah! I'm a Bum (1933), in which Al Jolson gave his only understated (and "watchable") film performance. Also outstanding was Ross' coupling of two Hammerstein's songs: "Make Believe" from Show Boat (1927) and "I Have Dreamed" from The King and I (1951). With the coupling of these two songs, Ross showed a meaningful expansion in Hammerstein's lyrical approach to "dreaming" nearly twenty-five years apart. In addition, Ross sang "To Keep My Love Alive" from A Connecticut Yankee (1943). I had only been familiar with Ella Fitzgerald's version from her album The Rodgers and Hart Songbook, in which she sang an abbreviated set of lyrics -- so it was a pleasure hearing the complete and humorously gruesome words.

Again, I want to emphasize that Steve Ross, throughout his entire performance, brought something new to each and every song. Lovers of the American song book like me are prone to find the way does this to be intriguing, magical, and compelling. Moreover, he accomplishes this without having to indulge anything akin to updating any of the songs he presented. He presents them with the timber of the times in which they were created. Yet, he managed to leave the listener with the experience that they are hearing the songs with fresh ears.

I've attended a half dozen performances of Steve Ross, and each was a revelation. For those with an interest in the art of popular song performance and who admire discernment with a flair in the songs selected, Steve Ross is a "must see" experience.

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Good Evening, Mr. Ross

Jay Reisberg — Sat, 27 Jan 2018 16:45:04 +0000

Good Evening, Mr. Ross Jay Reisberg January 27, 2018 - 11:45

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Steve Ross

I Remember Him Well: The Songs of Alan Jay Lerner

Birdland Jazz Club, NYC

Monday, January 22, 2018

Lerner who?

Getting serious for a moment, this is the fact around which we will orbit: What really constitutes American culture? Literature and architecture and painting -- yes, certainly. But what particularly animates our hearts is song -- and, in particular, the living energy of the American musical theater. In that buoyant realm, there’s no greater literate master than lyricist and writer Alan Jay Lerner (1918-1986). The open-and-shut-case evidence for this assertion is his CV: On A Clear Day, Brigadoon, Gigi, Paint Your Wagon, An American In Paris (story and screen play), Camelot, and -- most famously, My Fair Lady.

Watching our black and white TV, as a child I noticed my parents (and the studio audience) were delighted by a singer I’d never heard of. I could not understand the big to-do about him. Yes, he was pleasant-enough looking, but no Robert Goulet (a handsome icon of the day).Nor did he have that take-charge “Broadway voice," so often found on our household’s collection of cast recordings of musicals -- like the ones my sister and I listened-to ad nauseam and memorized. My mother answered: “Doesn’t his singing make you want to get up and dance!” Setting aside my small boy’s considerations, I found I did want to get up and dance. This was my first realization that there was another kind of singer, one who worked a quieter kind of magic then unknown to me.

That long-forgotten memory -- of an un-bombastic (but still moving) performance -- was resurrected when Steve Ross strode toward the stage at Birdland, singing, unaccompanied, the opening verse to Alan Jay Lerner and Burton Lane’s “You’re All the World to Me” (from the movie Royal Wedding). By the time he reached the piano and continued the body of the song, I was hooked, even mesmerized for the next hour and twenty minutes (and I did want to get up and dance when Mr. Ross transitioned from that lilting love ballad to the rousing “I’m on My Way” from Lerner and Lowe’s Paint Your Wagon)!

There could be no more ideal person than Steve Ross to offer a show celebrating Alan Jay Lerner. He is a magnetic blending of vocal and instrumental talent, charm, showmanship, and musical intelligence -- and he emanated an infectious joy in sharing gems from the Lerner songbook.

That evening, Mr. Ross (hereafter referred to as Steve), presented twenty-nine songs written by Lerner, some played with deceptive simplicity (the lovely “I Never Met a Rose” from The Little Prince) -- and others with his original unique arrangements, as with his rendition of “On a Clear Day” (which he opened with an unusual and compelling minor chord setting). Enhancing the course of the evening, Steve shared insightful back-stories of the songs, showing how Lerner honed his craft over many years, creating some of the most literate lyrics ever written for the stage. Included was the story of the stress in mounting Camelot during the final months of rehearsals, which had both Lerner (with bleeding ulcers) and the show’s director, Moss Hart (with a heart attack), passing each other in-and-out of the hospital. But “the show must go on” -- and did it ever, flourishing across 873 performances.

As far as I am concerned, every single song Steve performed that night was a “highlight," therefore I will only mention several highlights of highlights. I particularly enjoyed Lerner songs from shows of which I was unfamiliar: “My Last Love,” a sweet love ballad from the first Lerner-Lowe musical, What’s Up (1943); “Try Love,” and the darkly hilarious “I’ve Been Married,” from the un-produced My Man Godfrey (with music by Gerard Kenny); and “One More Walk Around The Garden,” from Carmelina. At one point, Steve stepped away from the piano to sing a cappella, doing both parts of “I Remember It Well” from Gigi -- the evening’s comedic-dramatic high point, eliciting thunderous applause.

Steve’s special guest, the radiant and comely soprano, Shana Farr, joined him for “Here I’ll Stay” from Lerner’s Love Life (with music by Kurt Weill), and “From this Day On” from Brigadoon. Ms. Farr also soloed with resolute renditions of “Show Me” and “I Could Have Danced All Night” from My Fair Lady. This singer has focus -- and power! -- and Steve chose superbly, bringing her into this joyful production.

Many cabaret luminaries were in attendance: K.T. Sullivan, Karen Akers, and others (and I am sure it was not only friendship which brought them there). Mr. Ross is a consummate performer, and there’s much to learn from how he approaches music, presents himself, and what he selects to sing. The intimacy of cabaret requires the performer to be present, as if they were singing personally to every audience member: not singing to all of us, but to each of us. Any hint of pretense or distance will cause an audience to drop from adulation to (at most) polite applause. Not many can perform with such authenticity, and even fewer with consistency -- but Steve is a master at it.

Further, he is adept at what could be called “the art of popular singing” -- which has as many distinctions (and challenges) as grand opera. Like one of his favorite singers, Fred Astaire, Steve knows how to approach singing in such a way that, even if you have heard a song over-and-over, it is as if you are hearing it rejuvenated. His intonation, his subtle variations in rhythm, and his perfect-yet-unstilted enunciation can make a worn, warhorse song into something fresh again.

In Japan, they designate "National Living Treasures": individuals whose consummate skills, craftsmanship, achievement, or artistry are a central part of the nation’s cultural riches. It’s about time that we institute such a practice! -- and when we do, Mr. Steve Ross will be the first to be designated such a treasure.

C'mon and Hear Steve Ross

Jay Reisberg — Wed, 19 Jul 2017 14:59:45 +0000

C'mon and Hear Steve Ross Jay Reisberg July 19, 2017 - 10:59

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photo credit: Stacy Sullivan

Steve Ross

C'mon and Hear: An Irving Berlin

July 4th Celebration

Birdland Jazz Club, NYC

June 26, 2016

In a letter to Alexander Woollcott, Jerome Kern wrote that "Irving Berlin has no place in American Music… He is American Music." What better person to present the art of Irving Berlin than venerable singer and pianist Steve Ross, who presented this great American composer's work in a sterling evening entitled C'mon and Hear: An Irving Berlin July 4th Celebration, at the historical Birdland Jazz Club on Manhattan’s West 44th Street, where he shared the stage with seasoned bassist Jered Egan.

Steve deeply understands the art behind Berlin's voluminous body of work, in a manner unique to himself. His renderings of both well-known, lesser known, and even obscure Berlin songs are historically astute and performed in an exceedingly skillful manner which is at once serious and at the same time carefree. The word "skillful" may sound academic and dry, but Steve's show was anything but.

It is worth noting something that Sylvia Fine (mostly known as lyricist for her husband Danny Kaye), reiterated several times during her lectures on American musical theater: that songs from '20s, '30s and '40s musicals were known to most listeners by the pop versions, recorded long after such musicals ended their initial runs within Broadway shows or were first heard in films (Ella Fitzgerald, Mel Tormé, etc.). In their original context, she opined, such songs offered a melodically and lyrically richer experience. Steve's renderings, including his creative flourishes, offer Berlin's songs with that context very much present, and the result is absolutely absorbing and delightful.

Steve's selections run from 1911's international hit "Alexander’s Ragtime Band," on through to "Let's Go Back to the Waltz" from Berlin's Broadway swan song Mr. President in 1962, and a great deal in between including: "How Deep is the Ocean?," "Blue Skies," "Putting on the Ritz," and a host of others. (For an evolving list of Berlin's 1,250-or-so songs see Wikipedia) Steve's patter included copious amounts of historical and popular context, which set up each song to be heard freshly. His original takes on Berlin's well-known standards, again, all honoring the original material, were special highlights in an evening which was for me all highlights. For example: he took the usually relentless rhythmic high-spirited song "Let Yourself Go" from the Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers film Follow The Fleet, and slowed it down to a melancholy lament which was at first startling and then hypnotic. He finished the song with the rousing up-tempo hoopla familiar to Astaire/Rogers fans which brought the standing-room-only house down.

As much as I am tempted, I will eschew addressing how Steve's playing and singing did justice to each of the thirty-six songs he presented. (This is a review not an exegesis!) I will though mention "Cohen Owes me Ninety-Seven Dollars" from 1915, in which a merchant on what appears to be his death bed, asks his son to collect a debt from Cohen so that he can go to his peace with serenity. The debt is collected and a speedy recovery ensues. (Who knew?)

I have attended several of Steve's performances over the last decade, and whatever age this great performer might be, he always comes off as something of a puckish teenager, brimming with both youthful exuberance and a kind of fresh-faced seriousness of a young man just launching his career. It is a pleasure to behold him holding forth behind the piano, with a commanding presence that chronologically younger performers should envy and admire (and emulate).

For those who love the art of the American popular song, a Steve Ross show is an absolute must.

Something's Got a Hold on Me

Jay Reisberg — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 05:11:35 +0000

Something's Got a Hold on Me Jay Reisberg June 9, 2012 - 01:11

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William Blake: Echoes of Etta
Birdland Jazz Club

June 4, 2012

William Blake rocked (and I do mean rocked!) Birdland this past Monday evening with his show Echoes of Etta. With cleverly and unobtrusively contemporized arrangements by Michael Thomas Murray, Mr. Blake served up choice offerings of Etta James songs. Using his high, mighty, and absolutely solid killer blue-eyed soul voice, Mr. Blake knocked the over-produced Etta emulators off the chart, singing with a vocal certainty and emotional sincerity that puts the others to shame. Echoes of Etta was just that: Mr. Blake's skill allowed him to vocally honor Ms. James's artistry, yet still maintain his own identity as the amazing singer he is.

In the spring of 1962, I heard "Something's Got a Hold on Me" on the radio, and ran out to Hollywood's legendary Wallach's Music City at Sunset and Vine to buy the "45" (ah, for the days of listening booths). I played that record endlessly, almost until the grooves were powder. I was Etta's biggest fan at Hollywood High, and remain a big fan while now enjoying my mature years. I was thrilled that Mr. Blake opened his show with that song, supported by three backup singers he referred to as his "Peaches" (in honor of Ms. James's first girl-group trio). From the initial lyric sung (or rather howled) by Mr. Blake, the first notes struck by the band, and the harmonized sound of the Peaches, I knew I was in for a great evening. I was not disappointed.

Personally, I am disinclined to appreciate "tribute shows," which can be long on sentiment and short on musicianship. Echoes of Etta avoided all that. Mr. Blake's comments about Etta were brief, sincere, and provided context -- and then it was on with the music. The band was comprised of true pros, and the energy just kept coming, from the opening song to "Good Rockin' Daddy," "The Wallflower (Roll with Me, Henry)," and "If I Can't Have You." Etta's ballads were given their moments with Mr. Blake offering fine renditions of, among others, "A Sunday Kind of Love" and "At Last," the latter preceded by a splendid intro by Matthew Polashek on the saxophone. Shira Elias, Ashley Betton, and Stephany Mora -- The Peaches -- got to showcase their sound during Mr. Blake's drop-dead version of "I'd Rather Go Blind." The Peaches were not just nice window dressing -- these gals can really sing!

Mr. Blake and the Peaches were supported by the solid and confident sound of the band. Oscar Bautista on guitar treated the audience to fine playing throughout, and several sailing solos. Mike Preen on bass, both standup and electric, provided a firm bass line foundation. Steve Kelly on drums provided "the beat," both rocking and quietly on the ballads. Matthew Polashek's sax rocked and mellowed with equal facility. Michael Thomas Murray on keyboards was just great, and his solo on the Fender-Rhodes really rocked the house. His arrangements were simply superb, giving a subtle contemporary lift to songs from another era.

From beginning to end, Echoes of Etta was a bust-out elating evening, rocking me in my seat to the up-tempo songs, or in rapt attention to the ballads. I have not had this kind of good time in a club, oh, since I don't know when.

Mr. Blake is an outrageously great vocalist, period. Other singers can learn the sonic mechanics of the howling, screaming, and moaning of the rhythm & blues tradition, they can get the gymnastics right, but they often lack Mr. Blake's authentic passion, sincerity, and feel for the music and lyrics. These are the key ingredients which put the "soul" in soul singing, and William Blake has got them all.

Birdland is at 315 West 44th Street, New York, NY.

Thrilling to the Ears & Easy on the Eyes

C. Jefferson Thom — Wed, 30 May 2012 18:32:52 +0000

Thrilling to the Ears & Easy on the Eyes C. Jefferson Thom May 30, 2012 - 14:32

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Carole J. Bufford's speak easy.

Metropolitan Room, NY

Hearing Carole J. Bufford sing backed by Vince Giordano & the Nighthawks is a rare alignment of stars not to be missed. Chronicling the Prohibition Era through its music, speak easy. brings this bygone time of legal restraint and social release to life in a relevant manner that is laced with nostalgia but not dependent on it. Deep within Bufford's dazzling and somewhat puckish eyes is a spark that sets fire to the music that radiates from her. Exuding playful sexiness, her presence is well suited for this genre and her connection to it is displayed by her genuine grasp of every note.

Bufford sings with a sincerity that is hard to match, coinciding with every expression on her face, every movement of her body, and every fiber of her being. There is love in her voice for these songs and it is eagerly shared with her audience. Playing with dynamic swings between powerful belts and soulful softness, she has a unique approach that is distinctly engaging. Amid songs she shifts between flirty banter and revealing anecdotes regarding the period she is showcasing, once more displaying her profound interest in the era whose music she sings so well. Bufford is a rare combination of personality and talent.

Fresh off their Grammy Award-winning work with Boardwalk Empire, Vince Giordano & the Nighthawks provide Ms. Bufford with the kind of instrumental support that most singers can only dream of. Giordano thumps a mean upright bass and blows a reverberating tuba as Peter Yarin coaxes the ivories into singing and Will Anderson runs wild on the clarinet and an arsenal of other woodwinds. The sound is warm and welcoming with a joyful hint of danger, opening a window to the musical treasure of the past. Larry Lees capably conducts and provides the magnificent arrangements.

This tribute to a time of illegal liquor and romanticized lawlessness makes for a classy experience. With only one date (June 16, 2012) for speak easy. remaining at the Metropolitan Room, time is of the essence. Reserving a warm seat and a cool martini would be a wise move.