Steven Maglio’s “Not Just Sinatra” shows at the Cutting Room are a ring-a-ding blast!

I had the opportunity in December to see Steven Maglio at The Cutting Room for a second time. I reviewed his show for Theater Pizzazz last year. (Read HERE). Steve invited me back, and when I saw Tom Cotter would be his opening act, I couldn’t resist! I was lucky to be in the audience when Tom did the tightest “tight three” I’ve ever seen, at his audition for America’s Got Talent a dozen years ago. I was floored, and immediately connected with him on Facebook. Tom went on to come in second place for the entire season – behind a dog act! Trust me, the dogs couldn’t tell a joke.

Tom Cotter’s set was quite funny, if a little looser than his AGT material, and he played off the audience well. It was great to see him in person again.

Steven was in excellent form, and included a number of different songs than the previous show. He’s always a great act, and if you love Sinatra like I do, he does a great job of capturing the energy of a Sinatra show with a big-band sound. While Steven doesn’t effect an impression, his voice naturally has a similar timbre and his phrasing is quite influenced by the Chairman’s. The charts are all vintage Nelson Riddle and Billy May, et al.

Steven does his weekly Sinatra show at the Carnegie Cigar Bar. I’ve seen it once. That show, he claims, is the same every week, including the jokes, though there’s a loyal fan who has seen it dozens of times. The Cutting Room show changes each month, with Steven mixing in songs by other singers of Sinatra’s time, albeit with arrangements that Sinatra would have been quite comfortable singing.

Definitely catch Steven Maglio at either The Cutting Room or, if you don’t mind tobacco smoke, at the Carnegie Cigar Bar.

Learn more about Steven Maglio at https://stevenmaglio.com. The Cutting Room is located at 44 East 32nd Street in Manhattan (https://thecuttingroomnyc.com/).

Press event for “Robin and Me”

I was invited to a unique press event for Abington Theatre Company’s Robin and Me: A little Spark of Madness, which opens at Theatre 4 at Theatre Row on April 15th for a one-month run. The show was written and performed by actor, voiceover artist and playwright Dave Droxler, and directed by Chad Austin. The event, which took place in show’s rehearsal space on Eighth Avenues, presented a roughly ten-minute snippet of the show, after Mr. Austin set up the story.

Dave Droxler and Chad Austin

The one-man show is a tour de force for the Mr. Droxler, whose autobiographical character has Robin Williams as his imaginary friend, muse, acting coach and mentor. Droxler not only effortlessly switches between his own character and that of Robin Williams, but he invokes his parents and other characters, switching on a dime among them. Even more impressively, not only does he do a dead-on vocal and physical manifestation of Robin, he riffs in real time with the audience, zeroing in on various aspects of those in attendance. In Droxler’s brief performance, we saw humor and pathos, and the actor quickly established enough of a back story to bring all present into his world.

When asked about the germination of the show, he told me, “I would always do a Robin Williams impression… I would kind of do him naturally, when I was nervous. I wrote this other show, called Walken on Sunshine, which was a part of the Fringe Festival. I was doing Christopher Walken in it [he did a quick impression on request], and I had this whole thing where an actor was trying to get Walken in a film. So, I had this one moment where I would do Robin improve and it always got a big reaction. People would always say, ‘When are you gonna do something about Robin Williams?’” Eventually, Droxler realized he’d been using Williams as a base of inspiration not only as a performer, but also just as a human being.

In some ways the show is reminiscent of Woody Allen’s play and film, Play it Again, Sam,” in which Humphrey Bogart was Woody’s muse and mentor who’d advise him through various situations. In that show, an actor portrayed Bogart. Mr. Doxler takes that similar premise to several levels higher.

Dave Droxler and producer Merrie Davis

I forward to seeing the show later this month.

For more information, visit abingdontheatre.org

A fly on the wall at JALC

Today, The Boulevardier was invited by a donor friend to watch the Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) band rehearse for their upcoming performance, in the rehearsal space/classroom just pass Dizzy’s. 

Panoramic shot

It is an annual event before the pandemic, and this was the first one in several years. It was an extraordinary experience.  Founder Wynton Marsalis was in his usual trumpet chair, but reed man Ted Nash led the band through the rehearsal, with the great Lew Tabackin on tenor sax and flute.  Watching all these cats in street clothes was cool enough, but I later learned all of them were sightreading the scores for the very first time.  Their level of musicianship is so high that you would have thought they’d been rehearsing for weeks. 

Afterwards, the group of us and many of the musicians, including Messrs. Nash and Tabackin, walked over to Dizzy’s for a sumptuous buffet.  Some words were spoken and questions were taken. 

This was quite the exciting day. I’ll have to grab a ticket for this concert!

My reviews for 2023

I will have my 150th review/article published in January 2023 — that’s in a total of 17 months as a reviewer. Publicists have been sending me CDs or emailing the tracks, and thus I will also begin to review these, initially here on The Boulevardier, but hope to get them picked up by one or more of the jazz sites. I also expect to do more features and interviews in 2023.

We’re off to a great start with the Joe Lovano Big Band on January 4th, though we also saw the Greg Ruvalo Big Band on New Year’s Day, but it was not picked up. As of January 21st, nine shows for review have been scheduled for the month, with three already published and a fourth submitted.

End of year summary: I slowed down a bit compared with 2022, as I also returned to performing, and became a part-time tour guide. I reached my 211th published review on December 26th. Not bad for two and a half years as a jazz and cabaret critic!

  1. Joe Lovano, Birdland Jazz, 1/4/23
  2. John Lloyd Young, 54 Below, 1/11/23
  3. Ann Hampton Callaway, 54 Below, 1/15/23
  4. Tom McGuire, Laurie Beechman, 1/20/23 (NiteLife Exchange)
  5. Bryce Edwards, Don’t Tell Mama, 1/21/23
  6. Jean Louise Kelly, Laurie Beechman, 1/21/23
  7. Broadway Sings She Angels, The Green Room 42, 1/22/23
  8. Linda Purl, Birdland Theater, 1/23/23                   [My 150th published review!]
  9. Jon Arons, Triad Theatre, 1/27/23
  10. Sondheim Unplugged, 54 Below, 1/29/23
  11. Julie Benko, Birdland, 2/6/23
  12. Melissa Errico, Birdland, 2/10/23
  13. Broadway Bound, 54 Below, 2/15/23
  14. Margot Sergent, Birdland, 2/16/23
  15. Highlights in Jazz, BMCC Tribeca, 2/23/23
  16. Divalicious! with Ann Hampton Callaway and Amanda McBroom, 54 Below, 3/3/23 (NiteLife Exchange)
  17. Mauricio Martinez, 54 Below, 3/5/23
  18. Reeve Carney: Singing the Divas, Green Room 42, 3/12/23
  19. John Pizzarelli at Café Carlyle, 3/14/23
  20. Storm Large, 54 Below, 3/19/23
  21. Chita Rivera and Seth Rudetsky, NJPAC, 3/25/23
  22. Michael Feinstein, Zankel Hall, 3/29/23
  23. Emilie-Claire Barlow, Birdland Theater, 4/2/23
  24. MAC Awards, Symphony Space, 4/4/23
  25. Kenn Boisinger, Birdland, 4/10/23
  26. John Forster, DTM, 4/16/23
  27. Bistro Awards, Gotham Comedy Club, 4/17/23
  28. Tawanda, Chelsea Table + Stage, 4/20/23 [My 170th published review]
  29. John Brancy and Peter Dugan, Café Carlyle, 4/21/23
  30. Seth Sikes and Nicolas Cage (revisited), 54 Below, 4/22/23
  31. Roz Corral Jazz Memorial, St. Peter’s Church, 4/26/23 (NiteLife Exchange)
  32. Nicole Zuraitis, Dizzy’s, 4/24/23 [NiteLife Exchange]
  33. Dawn Derow and Sean Harkness, Pangea, 4/28/23
  34. Paula West, Dizzy’s, 5/5/23 [NiteLife Exchange]
  35. Allan Harris, Chelsea Stage, 5/6/23
  36. Margo Brown, Don’t Tell Mama, 5/9/23
  37. Amanda King, 54 Below, 5/19/23
  38. Goldie Dvver, Pangea, 6/7/23 [My 180th published review]
  39. APSS Gala, Theater500, 6/12/23
  40. Matt Baker, A Rhapsody of Gershwin, Chelsea Table, 6/6/23
  41. Victoria Guthrie, Don’t Tell Mama, 6/9/23
  42. Steven Maglio, The Cutting Room, 6/21/23
  43. An Evening with Norm Lewis, 92nd Street Y, 7/11/23
  44. David Marino, Chelsea Table, 7/15/23
  45. Quintin Harris, Green Room 42, 7/25/23
  46. Marianne Meringolo, Chelsea Table, 7/27/23
  47. The Hot Toddies, Somewhere Nowhere, 8/16/23
  48. Jason Mraz with NY Pops, Forest Hills Stadium, 8/17/23 [My 190th published review]
  49. Nicolas King, Green Room 42, 8/30/23
  50. Matt Baker and Kieran Brown, Green Room 42, 9/16/23
  51. Amanda McBroom, Birdland, 9/18/23
  52. Thomas G. Waites and Tony Daniels, The Cutting Room, 9/28/23
  53. Songbook Sundays at Dizzy’s, 10/1/23
  54. Bryce Edwards at Birdland, 10/5/23
  55. Ava Nicole Frances, 54 Below, 10/10/23
  56. Maude Maggart, Birdland, 10/16/23
  57. Cabaret Convention Day 3, 10/19/23 
  58. Jamie DeRoy and Friends, Green Room 42, 10/23/23 [My 200th published review]
  59. The Songs of Howard Ashman, 92nd Street Y, 10/28/23
  60. Melissa Errico, 54 Below, 11/2/23
  61. Jillian Laurain, Don’t Tell Mama, 11/4/23
  62. The Right to Cabaret, Green Room 42, 11/4/23
  63. Mardie Millit: Sorry-Grateful, Don’t Tell Mama, 11/6/23
  64. Salute to Bucky Pizzarelli, 54 Below, 11/7/23
  65. Karen Akers, Under the Bridge, Birdland, 11/20/23
  66. Alice Ripley, Green Room 42, 11/21/23
  67. Andersons play Arlen, Symphony Space, 12/2/23
  68. Steve Maglio brief update, Cutting Room, 12/17/23 (on this blog)
  69. Callaway Sisters, 54 Below, 12/26/23

Nicolas King

Love is Just Around the Corner
The Green Room 42
May 4, 2022

In an imaginary world, the secret love child of Mel Tormé and Liza Minnelli would be … Nicolas King.  Take all of Mel’s finest gifts of vocal and musical prowess and syncopated rhythm magic, and his real-life mentor Liza’s (and by extension, Judy Garland’s) show biz instincts and pizzazz, and you might wind up with this kid.  (Kid?  Mr. King, once a child star, is now 30!)  Of course, that would not explain his warm and wonderful parental units, Erik and Christina King, who were present for tonight’s show.

Mr. King came to The Green Room 42 dressed in a somewhat conservative dark suit and tie, albeit with a sparkling white dress shirt.  The singer also had a kick-ass, make that world class, trio in tow.  It would be enough to have Steve Doyle on bass and Daniel Glass on drums.  But Tedd Firth on piano means you’re going to get the kind voicings and vamps you rarely get even on the finest of nights in the grandest of clubs (except perhaps from the late Mike Renzi, who Nick was fortunate to work with virtually all of his adult life and even well into the pandemic, virtually).

The evening got off to a late start due to some venue issues, but it was worth the wait for the “Sweetheart of 42nd Street,” as he was announced.  At a time when he is “learning contentment, Nick crooned a tune introduced by Liza Minnelli on Broadway in Flora the Red Menace, “Happy Song” (John Kander/Fred Ebb), over Steve Doyle’s walking bass.  The song rose to a big finish, setting up a beautiful ballad, “Ask Yourself Why” (Michel Legrand/Alan and Marilyn Bergman).  Mr. King often interpolates spoken words and cadences into his songs, something of a Liza-ism, that bring an intimate, almost conversational aspect to his delivery.  He has mastered the ability to make every one of them sound the idea just popped into his head. 

The young performer announced it was time for “an emotional spring-cleaning song,” really a medley, a cue for a long, spectacular vamp by Tedd Firth that earned its own ovation.  “Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most” (Tommy Wolf/Fran Landesman) might have done the trick on its own, but the tonic to this gin was Cole Porter’s “Just One of Those Things.”  If anyone should know from emotional spring-cleaning, it’s Cole Porter.  This song is nearly always done uptempo, a la Sinatra, but here, with Firth’s sublime assistance, Mr. King sang it very slowly, creating a deep emotional connection, before returning to “Spring” for the final cleanup.  Stunning.

Nick’s maternal grandmother, the delightful singer Angela Bacari, announced from the crowd, “I think you’re going to need this!” and brought a cocktail to the stage.  Nick demurred, saying he couldn’t possibly drink and sing — before taking a little taste and putting the drink on a chair for an “ode to a glass.”  It was a set-up, of course, and a fun one.  Nick went into “A Little Taste,” the witty, Dave Frishberg jazz standard with lines like “In my condition, this is a risky proposition” and “It’s a sedation, good for a sticky situation.” 

A wonderful and surprising treat was found in, of all things, “Hit Me Baby One More Time” (Max Martin).  Yes, the Britney Spears debut pop hit from her first album.  No, seriously!  Here, Nick dismissed Tedd Firth and sat at the piano.  He somehow made this piece of pop fluff into an interesting song.  Better yet, after a smooth transition from the piano while Tedd slipped back onto the piano bench, he did a scat solo!

Mr. King sang “You are There”(Johnny Mandel/Dave Frishberg), a song dedicated to the late Mike Renzi, who died suddenly in September 2021. 

My dearest dream is gone.
I often think there’s just one thing to do.
Pretend the dream is true, and tell myself that you … are there.

The star was visibly affected by these lyrics.  It was a lovely musical eulogy.

The jazz highlight of the night was “Pick Yourself Up” (Jerome Kern/Dorothy Fields), a song introduced by Fred Astaire in Swing Time in 1936. Going for baroque, so to speak, Mr. King borrowed the entirety of Mel Tormé’s sensational arrangement Tormé created with George Shearing, including the spoken introduction of the Swing Time plot and the Bach-like fugue piano and scat parts originally improvised by Tormé. There are few singers or pianists around today who could pull this off (although, of course, John Colianni, who, like Shearing and Renzi, played the piece with Tormé for years, is still active)

To set up Songheim’s “Children Will Listen” from Into the Woods, Mr. King recited an ancient Greek proverb worth, repeating here.  “A society grows great when old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit.”  They just might listen, if they heard Nicolas King tell them in song.  Somewhat ironically, it may have been the opening night of a two-week run of Into the Woods at City Center, along with Ken Page’s simultaneous show near that venue, that made for a sparser than usual crowd for a Nicolas King show, although it was also livestreamed to many more customers. 

The evening’s ”faux finale” was the title song, “Love is Just Around the Corner,” where Mr. King let loose with an Ella Fitzgerald/Mel Tormé-like succession of countless great musical quotes.

The encore was a gorgeous, sensitive interpretation of “A Time for Love” (Johnny Mandel/Paul Francis Webster) that earned a second standing ovation for Mr. King.

Nicolas King is a terrific powerhouse of an entertainer.  He makes everything look effortless, but you can trust that it takes a lot of hard work to make it look that easy.

Nicolas King

Love is Just Around the Corner

Musical director/piano:  Tedd Firth

Bass:  Steve Doyle

Drums:  Daniel Glass

For more information about Nicolas King, visit http://www.thenicolasking.com

For more great shows at The Green Room 42, visit https://thegreenroom42.venuetix.com

My reviews for 2022


For 1922, I continued my new writing gig as a reviewer of jazz and cabaret shows, primarily for Theater Pizzazz. I wrote a total of 100 reviews, with one being pulled from the publication but later posted here on The Boulevardier. I also wrote a number of reviews for Broadway World and NiteLife Exchange. Reviews for those publications are indicated in parentheses.

In 2021, I reviewed a total of 44 shows for Theater Pizzazz, with two more that were not published except here on The Boulevardier. Those reviews can be found on this post: bit.ly/MyTPreviews.

Each month, I will update this page with the review list. The linkable titles are for completed reviews. Any others (in italics) are shows I’ve seen but for which I have not yet submitted the review.

  1. Veronica Swift at BlueNote, January 20, 2022
  2. A Collective Cy: Jeff Harnar Sings Cy Coleman, Birdland Jazz, January 30, 2022
  3. Pete Malinveri, Django, February 8, 2022
  4. Gabrielle Lee, 54 Below, 2/11/22
  5. Mark William Valentine Show, Chelsea Table, 2/14/22
  6. Melissa Errico, 54 Below, 2/18/22
  7. Quinn Lemley, Don’t Tell Mama, 2/24/22
  8. Ron Jackson, Django, 2/25/22 (50th review published)
  9. Sondheim Unplugged, 54 Below, 2/27/22
  10. Lindsay Lavin, Green Room 42, 2/28/22 
  11. Isaac Mizrahi, Café Carlyle, 3/1/22
  12. NY Pops w/Norm Lewis, Carnegie Hall, 3/4/22 (Broadway World)
  13. Tulis McCall, Don’t Tell Mama, 3/6/22
  14. Dawn Derow, 54 Below, 3/8/22
  15. Lee Roy Reams, 54 Below, 3/10/22
  16. Jeff Flaster, Don’t Tell Mama, 3/11/22
  17. Meri Zeiv, Don’t Tell Mama, 3/13/22
  18. Nelson Riddle NY Pops, Carnegie Hall, 3/16/22 (NiteLife Exchange) (60th review published)
  19. Artemisia LeFay, Birdland, 3/21/22
  20. Margo Brown and Lisa Dellarossa, Don’t Tell Mama, 3/25/22
  21. Green Room 42 Sings Into the Woods, Green Room 42, 3/26/22
  22. Karen Mason, Birdland, 3/28/22
  23. Kristen Lee Sergeant, Joe’s Pub, 3/31/22 (Broadway World)
  24. Lorna Luft, 54 Below, 4/1/22
  25. Ari Axelrod, Green Room 42, 4/2/22
  26. Michael Feinstein, Zankel Hall, 4/6/22 (Broadway World)
  27. Allan Harris, Dizzy’s Coca Cola Club, 4/6/22
  28. MAC Awards, Symphony Space, 4/12/22 (70th review published)
  29. Tina Scariano, 54 Below, 4/14/22
  30. Cyrille Aimee, Birdland Jazz, 4/19/22 (Broadway World)
  31. Maureen Taylor: Songs of Michael Colby, 4/23/22
  32. Therese Lee, Triad, 4/23/22
  33. NY Pops Gala Concert, Carnegie Hall, 4/25/22 (Broadway World)
  34. John Pizzarelli, Café Carlyle, 4/26/22 (Broadway World)
  35. Peter Calo, Pangea, 4/28/22
  36. Becca Kidwell, Don’t Tell Mama, 4/30/22
  37. Ann Hampton Callaway, 54 Below, 5/18/22
  38. Susanne Mack, Pangea, 5/20/22 (Broadway World) (80th review published)
  39. Tierney Sutton, Birdland, 5/24/22
  40. Joanna Gleason, 54 Below, 5/30/22
  41. Gay Marshall, Pangea, 5/31/22
  42. Stacy Sullivan, Weill Recital Hall, 6/3/22
  43. Gabrielle Stravelli, Birdland Theater, 6/7/22 (Broadway World)
  44. Carol Lipnik, Joe’s Pub, 6/8/22
  45. Robin Lyon, Green Room 42, 6/9/22
  46. Spencer Day, Chelsea Table, 6/11/22 (Broadway World)
  47. Tribute to Lee Roy Reams, The Cutting Room, 6/12/22
  48. Tony Danza, Café Carlyle, 6/15/22 (Broadway World) (90th review published)
  49. The Boys from Syracuse in Concert, 6/16/22
  50. Bill Charlap, NJPAC, 6/17/22
  51. Sondheim Unplugged, 54 Below, 6/26/22 (Broadway World)
  52. Ari Axelrod – Ari’s Arias, Birdland Theater, 6/30/22 (NiteLife Exchange)
  53. Eyal Vilner, Birdland Jazz, 7/3/22 (Broadway World)
  54. Anais Reno, Birdland Jazz, 7/4/22 (Broadway World)
  55. Karen Oberlin, Laurie Beechman, 7/7/22
  56. Joe Iconis & Family , 54 Below, 7/11/22
  57. Cast Party Anniversary Show, Birdland Jazz, 7/11/22
  58. Jaime Lozano & Mauricio Martinez, 54 Below, 7/18/22 (100th review published)
  59. T. Oliver Reid, 54 Below, 7/24/22
  60. Drew Gasparini, 54 Below, 7/25/22
  61. Gerrilyn Sohn, Don’t Tell Mama), 7/31/22 (Broadway World)
  62. John Minnok, 54 Below, 8/4/22 (Broadway World)
  63. Mary Stallings, Smoke, 8/11/22
  64. Miss Maybell and the Jazz Age Artistes, Birdland, 8/12/22
  65. Andersons Twins play Henry Mancini, Symphony Space, 8/13/22 (Broadway World)
  66. Jacob Khalil: Obsessions, Birdland Theater, 8/14/22
  67. Quintin Harris Quartet, Chelsea Table, 8/24/22
  68. Mingus Dynasty, Chelsea Table, 8/25/22
  69. John Lloyd Young, Birdland, 8/27/22
  70. Julie Benko and Jason Yeager, Birdland, 8/29/22
  71. Donna Vivino, 54 Below, 9/9/22
  72. Karen Akers, Birdland, 9/12/22
  73. Ann Talman, 54 Below, 9/14/22
  74. Billy Stritch and Gabrielle Stravelli, Birdland Jazz, 9/19/22
  75. Billy Stritch, 54 Below, 9/23/22
  76. Naomi Miller, Don’t Tell Mama, 10/9/22
  77. Shana Farr, Laurie Beachman, 10/12/22
  78. Roberta Donnay –Chelsea Stage + Table, 10/18/22 (NiteLife Exchange)
  79. NY Pops – The Music of Star Wars, Carnegie Hall, 10/21/22
  80. Nicolas King and Seth Sikes, Laurie Beechman, 10/29/22
  81. Interview with Sheba Mason, et al. for The Jackie Mason Musical (NiteLife Exchange)
  82. Jo Brisbane, Don’t Tell Mama, 11/5/22
  83. Jaime Lozano, 54 Below, 11/8/22
  84. Peter Cincotti, Birdland, 11/9/22
  85. Bob O’Hare, Ira Gerswhin, Don’t Tell Mama, 11/11/22
  86. Madelaine Warren, Laurie Beechman, 11/12/22
  87. Susan Mack, Birdland, 11/14/22
  88. Lianne Marie Dobbs, 54 Below, 11/16/22
  89. Peter Calo, Jazz on Main, 11/19/22 (NiteLife Exchange)
  90. Kay Kostopoulos, Pangea, 11/22/22
  91. Sheila Jordan, Birdland Theatre, 11/25/22
  92. Jay Leonhart, Birdland Theater, 12/6/22
  93. Tim Connell, Pangea, 12/8/22
  94. Carol Bufford, Birdland, 12/9/22
  95. Joe McCarthy’s New York Afro Bop Alliance, Dizzy’s, 12/14/22 (NiteLife Exchange)
  96. Richard Holbrook, Don’t Tell Mama, 12/18/22
  97. Eleri Ward, Acoustic Sondheim, Sony Hall, 12/19/22
  98. Champian Fulton, Birdland, 12/22/22
  99. Birdland Big Band, Birdland Jazz, 12/29/22

Published at The Boulevardier Blog

  1. Nicolas King, Green Room 42, 5/4/22

2021 Year in Review: All my reviews

In 2021, I became a reviewer of jazz and cabaret shows for Theater Pizzazz. I reviewed a total of 44 shows for the publication, one of which was too late for publication and another which was superseded by another reviewer who was inadvertently assigned to the same show and submitted his ahead of mine.

I’m very proud of this achievement. I’ve had the opportunity to review many artists I know and love personally, or are fans of, as well as take on many challenges to write about performers with whom I was completely unfamiliar. All of this – 42 published reviews — in less than four months.

The two unpublished reviews, an early practice review, and a review for a Facebook group I co-manage can be found in this blog. Here is a list of all 42 published reviews by artist and the date of the show. I’ve connected direct links to each of the reviews listed.

My Theater Pizzazz Reviews

  1. Charlie Romo, The Green Room 42, 8/24/21
  2. Our Sinatra, Birdland Theater, 8/24/21
  3. Sam Dillon Quartet, Birdland Theater, 9/23/21
  4. Ted Rosenthal Trio, Birdland Theater, 9/22/21
  5. Harvey Granat Presents, 92nd Street Y, 9/23/21
  6. Clint Holmes, Birdland Jazz, 9/27/21
  7. Nicole Zuraitis, Birdland Theater, 9/27/21
  8. Ron Carter, Birdland Jazz, 10/8/21
  9. Ann Kittredge, Birdland Theater, 10/10/21
  10. Christine Bianco, Birdland Theater, 10/15/21
  11. Myriam Phiro, Birdland Theater, 10/17/21
  12. Austin Pendleton and Barbara Bleier, Pangea, 10/20/21
  13. Quinn Lemley, Don’t Tell Mama, 10/21/21
  14. Isaac Sutton, The Green Room 42, 10/24/21
  15. Benny Benack Quartet, Birdland Theater, 10/24/21
  16. Anais Reno, Birdland Theater, 10/28/21
  17. Kati Neiheisel, Pangea, 10/30/21
  18. Drew Gasparini, Feinstein’s/54 Below, 11/1/21
  19. Barb Bailey, Don’t Tell Mama, 11/5/21
  20. Susan Mack, Birdland Theater, 11/8/21
  21. Hannah Jane, The Green Room 42, 11/12/21
  22. Dean Benner, The Triad Theater, 11/14/21
  23. Karen Mason, Feinstein’s/54 Below, 11/16/21
  24. Roberta Donnay and the Prohibition Mob Band, Birdland Theater, 11/17/21
  25. Sheila Jordan 93rd Birthday, Birdland Theater, 11/18/21
  26. Mr. Harris and Mr. Edwards, Don’t Tell Mama, 11/20/21
  27. Andy Farber Big Band, Birdland Jazz, 11/21/21
  28. Gabrielle Stravelli, Birdland Theater, 11/21/21
  29. Stephanie Trudeau, Don’t Tell Mama, 11/22/21
  30. Ken Peplowski Big Band, Birdland Jazz, 11/23/21
  31. Tim Connell, Pangea, 11/27/21
  32. Andrea Wolff, Don’t Tell Mama, 12/1/21
  33. Monica Passin/Monette, Pangea, 12/3/21
  34. Roderick Ferguson, Don’t Tell Mama, 12/4/21
  35. Jamie deRoy & Friends, Birdland Jazz, 12/6/21
  36. Ludlow Ladd, Urban Stages, 12/8/21
  37. Jay Leonhart Trio, Birdland Jazz, 12/11/21
  38. Kenn Boisinger, The Laurie Beechman Theatre, 12/12/21
  39. BETTY Band, City Winery, 12/13/21
  40. Gunhild Carling and Family, Birdland Theater, 12/17/21
  41. Benny Benack and Steven Feifke Swingin’ Holiday, Birdland Jazz, 12/19/21
  42. Chris Botti 17th Annual Holiday Residency, Blue Note, 12/19/21

Published here at The Boulevardier Blog

  • Eve Marie Shahoian, Don’t Tell Mama, 7/15/21 (practice run originally on Facebook only)
  • Rob Kevlin, Feinstein’s/54 Below, 9/24/21 (submitted too late to Theater Pizzazz)
  • Marissa Mulder, Birdland Theater, 10/3/21 (written for Theater Pizzazz but superseded by Ron Fassler’s review)
  • American Popular Song Society monthly event, Don’t Tell Mama, 10/13/21

For my 2022 reviews, click here:
https://andrewporetz.com/2022/02/10/my-reviews-for-2022/

The lost songs of writer and photographer Michael Katakis — “A Simpler Time”

Back in 1977, I saw the comedian Robert Klein when he came to the University of Maryland for a show.  I can still remember many details of it.  But most of all, I remember the opening act.  A huge fellow waddled across the stage, wearing overalls, possibly weighing close to 300 pounds, though my memory might be playing tricks, as he does not look nearly that heavy on his album cover.  The audience did not know who he was – he was not introduced – and some people laughed at his appearance, which saddened me.  He looked like he might be the maintenance man or a piano tuner, if played by Oliver Hardy.  Then he sat down at the piano, to everyone’s surprise.  He played and sang.  When he opened his mouth to sing, I was mesmerized.  He also accompanied himself on guitar for a few songs.  He played both instruments with great skill.  And I loved his voice and his songs.  He was funny and self-deprecating.  After the show, I went straight to the record store in the Student Union and bought his album, “A Simpler Time,” on A&M Records.  Many other students did the same. I thought for sure he would be a big star.  I must have played this record hundreds of times, and I can still hear “Oooh, I’ve got no lights. Oooh, I’ve got no heat,” whenever I’ve lost power or heat. And I know “I’ve been down this road before,” and that has been a very pleasant earworm when it hits me.

Despite my expectation that Katakis would be the next Billy Joel, I never heard of him again.  Some years ago, after many attempts to find out what became of him, I discovered he had become a successful “writer who also takes photographs,” a professor of Native American literature, and more, in a career lasting more than four decades.  He’s no longer that huge fellow I saw in 1977, either. Katakis has published a number of titles, including a spectacular book of his journeys around the world, Photographs and Words. And he manages the literary estate of Ernest Hemingway! I found his email and wrote him a letter to acknowledge him and ask what happened to his music career.  Weeks later, he found the email in his spam folder and wrote me back.  I learned that he quit the music business maybe a year after this show, just disgusted with it.  He was really thrilled and appreciative to learn he had made such an impact in his short time making music.  He had to read the letter to his wife.  It was, I suppose, his “Moonlight Graham” (Field of Dreams) moment.  “You were good, Doc!” 

The album is long out of print.  And nothing in any of Katakis’s bios even mentions his early career. After many years, someone in Japan finally had the good sense to put the album on YouTube.  It is, in fact, the soundtrack to a video of the actual album playing on a turntable, and it sounds pristine.  I’m perhaps as moved today as I was some 44 years ago.  And wondering if I or a wise reader of this post can possibly cover a couple of these lost tunes, which deserve another day in the sun.

More information about Michael Katakis can be found at his website, http://www.mkatakis.org/gallery_links.html

And now, for your listening pleasure, sides 1 and 2 of A Simpler Time:

The American Popular Song Society, October 10, 2021: Skylark: Remembering Susannah at Don’t Tell Mama

At long last, a LIVE, in-person American Popular Song Society event! Celebrating the late Susannah McCorkle, gone now 20 years.

Excellent production by Jerry Osterberg, with performances by Danny Bacher, Gabrielle Stravelli, Mark Nadler, Aisha de Haas and Lucy Wijnands, with Susannah’s pianist and musical director Allen Farnham providing the accompaniment for all but Mark.

This was meant to be a livestreamed and videotaped performance, in addition to the live audience at Don’t Tell Mama for the monthly event. Unfortunately, due to technical difficulties, there’s no video and no photos available. So you had to be there.

Here’s my write-up:

I only encountered Susannah McCorkle once, well before I even knew about the cabaret scene, at an event at the 42nd Street Automat produced by WNEW-1130 radio sometime in the early 1980s. Jonathan Schwartz played her regularly. Her rendition at the event was the first time I’d ever heard anyone sing “Spring Will Be a Little Late This Year.”

It was quite a coup for Jerry Osterberg to get Allen Farnham, who is currently in the pit for The Lion King on Broadway, as the musical director and accompanist today. He had to leave early for that show.

Danny Bacher is a funny and talented singer and master of the soprano sax (or as Jerry called it, a flute). Danny likes to throw in funny little asides in the songs. He started the verse to Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer’s “Accentuate the Positive”, singing “Gather ‘round me, everybody…. But not too close.” On “You Go To My Head,” with a bossa beat, he sang, “So I say to myself…. Self?” He brought up Lucy Wijnand for a duet on Johnny Mercer’s “At the Jazz Band Ball,” then finished with Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “How Insensitive,” with Lucy on vocal. Lucy is a fresh-faced young woman whose voice is reminiscent of Sarah Vaughn when she uses her lower register. I learned later that, to no surprise, Vaughn is a big influence on Lucy. A lovely “I’ll Take Romance” (Ben Oakland/Oscar Hammerstein II) had a light swinging rhythm with a bridge played as a waltz. Lucy introduced Rodgers & Hart’s humorous “I Wish I Were In Love Again” with the rarely sung verse, and finished big.

Gabrielle Stravelli is always a delight. She sings with a twinkle in her eyes, radiating joy as she masterfully sings and swings. Gabrielle sang the verse to Gershwin’s “They All Laughed,” which I’d never heard before, then taking us on a fun adventure with her versatile voice.

Gabrielle shared that the first jazz standard she’d ever been introduced to was “Skylark” (Hoagy Carmichael/Johnny Mercer), and sang the ballad beautifully. She ended her set with the funny Dave Frishberg song “My Attorney Bernie.”

Broadway and jazz artist Aisha de Haas was another great get by Jerry. She sang a sultry “Lover Man” (Jimmy Davis/Roger Ramirez/James Sherman). She sang a song she first learned from the record her aunt (Geraldine Bey) made with her group, the Bey Sisters, “Every Time We Say Goodbye” (Cole Porter), with the verse. The line “How great the change from major to minor,” one of my favorite phrases from any song, felt especially poignant in her hands.

Aisha finished her set with the jazziest song of the show, Cole Porter’s “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To.”

Danny and Lucy returned for a great old-school duet on “Thanks For The Memory” (Ralph Rainger/Leo Robin), after which Farnham had to dash off to The Lion King.

The final artist was Mark Nadler, who shared with us that Susannah was one of his closest friends. He became visibly choked up speaking about her. He made it clear how fun she was to be with, and that in their first encounter, Susannah, then writing an article about Irving Berlin for American Heritage, found Mark at a show and asked him, “Why is Irving Berlin indispensable to you?”

Mark is a great showman with considerable ability. For Irving Berlin’s “Isn’t This A Lovely Day,” he made the piano sound like it was raining while singing “Let the rain pitter-patter.” He brought back Gabrielle Stravelli for an adorable duet of “Two Sleepy People,” infusing great humor through their bon mots, phrasing and body language, turning the lovely couple of the song into what might be described as “two creepy people” who smile at one another through clenched teeth.

Mark played Billy Strayhorn’s “Something to Live For,” which had erroneously been credited to Ervin Drake in the program. “How thrilled would Edith have been to know she was married to a short, black, gay man?”

For the final number of the program, Mark recreated Susannah McCorkle’s arrangement of “There’s No Business Like Show Business” (Irving Berlin). Normally a fast, happy tune that glamorizes even the hard parts of show business, here it is a tour de force of tragedy and irony, pathos and tears, with the song becoming a metaphor for surviving failure. From its rubato opening to the big finish that let us know it’s going to be okay, and let’s go on with the show, Mark’s stunning, dramatic interpretation of Susannah’s arrangement was simply spectacular.

Bravo, brava, bravissimo, bravissima…. Fini!


The American Popular Song Society
Skylark: Remembering Susannah
Don’t Tell Mama
343 West 46th Street, NYC

Marissa Mulder: Souvenirs, A Tribute to the Songs of John Prine

October 3, 2021

Marissa Mulder returned to Birdland Theater for her in-person show since February 2020. With Jon Weber as her pianist and musical director, and Mike Rosengarten on guitar, Marissa presented the music and story of John Prine, the Grammy-winning singer/songwriter who was an early victim of COVID-19 in 2020. Marissa, a luminous strawberry blonde who radiates her joy in her singing as with everything she does, was in fine voice, interpreting Prine’s songs with great skill and feeling. Marissa, whose specialty is theme shows written around the deep-dive material of heralded singer-songwriters whose names are more well-known than their catalog, like Tom Waits, and new interpretations of Lennon and McCartney songs, brought that same approach to giving a virtual Master Class in John Prine, who had a knack for writing deep and whimsical songs that were especially acclaimed by other songwriters, such Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan and the late Nancy Griffith. Marissa has a gentle, nearly girlish sound that is often compared to that of the late Blossom Dearie, and is perfect for the material. The arrangements of these deceptively simple songs were terrific, with Weber and Rosengarten creating just the right melodic lines and tension for the material while allowing Marissa to shine.

Marissa opened with “Paradise,” the first song he sang to his father. Her own father was in the house.

𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑎𝑑𝑑𝑦 𝑤𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒 𝑚𝑒 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑡𝑜 𝑀𝑢ℎ𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑔 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑦
𝐷𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐺𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑅𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑃𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑒 𝑙𝑎𝑦
𝑊𝑒𝑙𝑙, 𝐼’𝑚 𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑦 𝑚𝑦 𝑠𝑜𝑛, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢’𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑜 𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑎𝑠𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔
𝑀𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑃𝑒𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑦’𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛 ℎ𝑎𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑢𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑡 𝑎𝑤𝑎𝑦

“Souvenirs,” the show’s title song, was a tune Prine always dedicated to his brother, even singing the song to his dying brother on his deathbed. Some of Prine’s best material was written when he was a postal carrier in Mayberry, Illinois. He made his big break after film critic Roger Ebert caught his show entirely by chance and wrote about the “Singing Mailman.” Marissa’s family was in attendance from Syracuse, and she apologized to her dad from the stage after quoting Prine’s “F bomb” before launching into his “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore.”

For “Sam Stone,” Weber and Rosengarten, using ringing harmonic tones, created a delicate backdrop for Marissa to deliver a powerful message as relevant in the aftermath of the Afghanistan conflict as it was when our troops came home from Vietnam. The question asked, really, is “For what?” We learned that Johnny Cash changed the controversial phrase that “Jesus died for nothing” when he recorded the song, something Prine said was really the entire point. On “Speed of “The Sound of Loneliness,” Marissa was at her most vulnerable. With just Rosengarten providing a fingerpicked guitar, Marissa inhabits the song and its sorrow.

When was the last time you heard a song about a boy and an elephant? “Sabu Visits the Twin Cities Alone,” about a former child star whose career reached its zenith with his first film, “Elephant Boy.” The song is at once poignant and funny, with lines like “𝑆𝑎𝑏𝑢 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑎𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑛𝑘. 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑖𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑠 𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑝ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑡’𝑠 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑛𝑘.”

Marissa followed “Sabu” with another very clever song, “Dear Abby” is a collection of letters to Dear Abby and her responses (all written by Prine). Marissa was delightful singing lyrics like “𝑆𝑖𝑔𝑛𝑒𝑑, 𝐵𝑒𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑,” and informed us after the song that someone sent one of the stanzas to the actual “Dear Abby,” who wrote that the writer clearly needed a psychiatrist.

Marissa sweetly sang “Angel From Montgomery,” most famously covered by Bonnie Raitt, who said that Prine was “probably the closest thing for those of us that didn’t get the blessing of seeing Mark Twain in person.”

After telling a funny story about Prine’s goldfish that he loved so much he had it mounted, Marissa performed Prine’s uptempo song, “Please Don’t Bury Me,” about his own imagined death, recorded 20 years before. “𝑃𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑛’𝑡 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑦 𝑚𝑒 𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑑, 𝑐𝑜𝑙𝑑 𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑛. 𝐼’𝑑 𝑟𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑐𝑢𝑡 𝑚𝑒 𝑢𝑝 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑎𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑.” The humorous lyrics took on a bittersweet poignancy, now that Prine is really gone. This would have been her final song, but Marissa performed an encore on “In Spite of Ourselves,” with just Mike Rosengard on guitar. It was a terrific cap to a delightful show.

Marissa Mulder
Souvenirs, A Tribute to the Songs of John Prine 
Birdland Theater
315 West 44th Street, NYC