Club Review: The Royal Bopsters
Penelope Thomas
(L. to r.): Dylan Pramuk, Amy London, Jeanne O'Connor, and Pete McGuiness of The Royal Bopsters. 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...
Streamed Concert: Vladimir Kornéev & WDR Funkhaus Orchestra—”Chansons d’Amour”
Gerry Geddes
During COVID, I viewed any number of virtual concerts and cabaret shows but I can count the ones that succeeded on the fingers of one hand. Based on Chansons d’Amour by German-based actor/singer/pianist Vladimir Kornéev & WDR Funkhaus Orchestra, and on another audience-less concert I will be soon be reviewing, it appears that across the Atlantic they have...
Club Review: Carolyn German—Unsolicited Advice About Life, Love, & Practical Shoes
Gerry Geddes
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...
Club Review: The Boy Band Project
Gerry Geddes
The Boy Band Project: L. to r.: Kevin John Murray, Travis Nesbitt, Christopher Brasfield, Jesse JP Johnson. (Photo: Tamra Sheehan) 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,...
CD Review: Lauren White and the Quinn Johnson Trio’s “Ever Since the World Ended”
Gerry Geddes
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...
CD Review: Wilma Baan’s “So Nice”
Gerry Geddes
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...
Club Review: Amber Iman
Gerry Geddes
Amber Iman (Photo: Joanna Degeneres) Her strong, range-y voice and statuesque looks make it no surprise that actress/singer Amber Iman is an award-nominated performer with a burgeoning career in theatre, including Broadway’s Soul Doctor (as Nina Simone), the National Tour of Hamilton, and various off-Broadway and regional productions. She has also...
CD Review: The Chris Saunders Band’s “Dancing with the Widow St. James”
Lisa Jo Sagolla
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,...
Club Review: André De Shields’ “Black by Popular Demand (A Musical Meditation on How Not To Be Eaten by The Sphinx)”
Penelope Thomas
Three women emerged silently in low light from the back of the house; winding between café tables, eyes scanning the horizon, parasols aloft; the pianist and percussionist shimmered a soundscape for them as they made their way to the stage; everyone had a hat. Freida Williams and André De Shields (Photo: Lia...
Club Review: Tina Scariano’s “Feels Like Home”
Gerry Geddes
Tina Scariano Tina Scariano has a terrific voice with a pleasingly effective vibrato. It would not be out of the realm of possibility to imagine her one day being feted like the artists she featured in Feels Like Home, her new show at The Green Room 42. Therefore, it was most disappointing...
