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“You Must Believe in Spring! – The Music of Michel Legrand”
Feinstein’s at Loews Regency – February. 26, March 4. 11, 18
In a review several years ago, I praised Marieann Meringolo’s poise, rich vocal power, and dynamic renditions. After seeing her current show at Feinstein’s at Loews Regency, let’s raise that a notch or more, because these qualities have been enhanced by mature understanding and a confident delivery. Stylish in black, with her trio in tuxedos, Meringolo is a sophisticated performer who demonstrates an appreciation of both the lyrics and the melodies. She delivers her interpretations of his music with honesty and passion.
As with most of the evening’s selections, the lyrics to the show’s title song, “You Must Believe in Spring,” were written by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. The pairing of the versatile Michel Legrand and the Bergmans, with their swooning views of romance, has been hugely successful, combining theatricality and conviction in many memorable songs. Meringolo ends the program with this song, its message–that in times of uncertainty there is always the promise of spring and love—serving as a culmination of all the messages in this songbook, a paean to of the power of love.
While there isn’t any discussion of Legrand’s impressive jazz career, the trio, comprising musical director/arranger Doyle Newmyer on piano, Boots Maleson on bass, and Brian Woodruff on drums, demonstrate why so many of Legrand’s melodies have been covered by jazz musicians. Most people, however, probably know Legrand best for his sweeping film music, which earned him three Academy Awards: for The Thomas Crown Affair, Summer of ’42 and Yentl. Meringolo precedes “The Windmills of Your Mind” (The Thomas Crown Affair) with a comment that her appreciation of the wildly dramatic song was not influenced by the film but by how the song can evoke the trauma of a romantic breakup. Her striking rendition builds as the lovers are swept up in an emotional maelstrom.
She combines two songs from Yentl to deliver an expressive examination of a bright woman who does not want to settle: “Where Is It Written?,” with its fervent yearnings of a young woman searching for universal answers, and “A Piece of Sky,” which suggests that questions will always remain, and the yearning to learn still more will continue. She pairs the Oscar-winning “The Summer Knows” (Summer of ’42) with “Once Upon a Summertime” (English lyrics by Johnny Mercer), with its lines that infectiously descend in pitch.
“How Do You Keep the Music Playing?,” a song redolent of lovers viewing the future with a mature eye, is paired with “Summer Me Winter Me,” the younger lovers, gripped in the throes of passion, promising all. It is an astute combination of pragmatism and idealism. The trio of Newmyer, Maleson and Woodruff supports Meringolo with expressive rhythms and some catchy turns of their own, most notably in “I Will Wait For You” (English lyric by Norman Gimbel).
Directed by Eric Michael Gillett, the evening is filled with songs that are tailor-made for Meringolo’s nuanced alto, a good match for the intensity she is able to deliver without ever falling into mawkishness. Her long melodic lines further intensify the intriguing moods she creates in all of her interpretations.
The natural warmth and authority of Marieanne Meringolo suffuse the intimacy of a cabaret room. She proves again that she can thrill listeners as few others do, even some who’ve attained greater prominence.
