Gregory Charles

April 5, 2012

“Vintage”

Café Carlyle – April 3-7

Canadian musician and singer Gregory Charles, very popular in his home country and abroad, has brought his show “Vintage” to none other than the posh and intimate Café Carlyle. The formula, which has apparently won him many fans in venues large and small, is simple: do an all-request show based on songs that audience members choose. That is, any song from any era, any style. And it’s not as if Charles is on the stage alone; he plays piano and sings and is expertly accompanied by guitar, bass and drums. Not an easy task by any standard, and Charles even promises, “If we can’t do your request, we will go to your home—wherever it is—and do a show for free.” Through an evening of, as one would expect, a mixed bag of choices, Charles succeeded musically. But did it make for a satisfying evening of cabaret? Well, not so much.

Before the requests began, Charles took to the stage with boundless enthusiasm, like an eager puppy takes to a front lawn; he could hardly sit still on the piano bench. He and his band jumped into a jaunty rendition of “Take the ‘A’ Train” (Billy Strayhorn, Joya Sherrill) along with a little bit of “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing)” (Duke Ellington, Irving Mills). He was clearly having a good time and in his element jamming with the other three musicians. A fact collector as well, he offered historical details about his next three numbers, “It Had to Be You” (Gus Kahn, Isham Jones), “Minnie the Moocher” (Cab Calloway, Clarence Gaskill, Irving Mills), and a mash-up of “Just a Gigolo” (Irving Caesar, Leonello Casucci) and “I Ain’t Got Nobody” (Roger Graham, Dave Peyton, Spencer Williams). All were performed with panache, and his voice had a pleasing fizz to it that complemented his energy. Still, the focus was on musical camaraderie rather than on lyric interpretation, which is the heart of what good cabaret should be.

The first selection from the request box was “The Nearness of You” (Hoagy Carmichael, Ned Washington). This was where Charles was best, forced to slow down and demonstrate some interpretive ability. In the request that followed—another ballad, “The Way We Were” (Marvin Hamlisch, Alan & Marilyn Bergman)—he moved from a plaintive whisper to an impassioned belt to poignant effect. These moments were too few in the show.

Charles also exhibited serious rock chops on “Sweet Child O’ Mine” by Guns N’ Roses, after which he commented, “That was surely the first time Guns N’ Roses has been heard in the Carlyle.” He had an appealing rapport with the audience, and he was able to improvise parts of previously sung numbers into new numbers, which was both skillful and humorous.

So why did the concept not work? Well, it was like an extended bit one might see in a piano bar: fun for a few minutes, but tedious when stretched to an hour-plus. Each song began with Charles noodling on the ebonies and ivories while wondering aloud what would be the best key. In some cases he made a great effort to remember lyrics but stumbled over them. Further, he often directed his guitarist, mid-song, to switch guitars or play a particular riff. These interruptions became annoyances to people who wanted to get lost in a song only to be pulled from their reverie by spoken musical directions.

While ably accompanied by Samuel Joly on drums and Sylvain Bertrand on bass, the clear co-star in this Vintage venture was Jean-Benoit Lasante on guitar (whom Charles credited as musical director). There seemed to be nothing that Lasante could not pull out of a hat and execute flawlessly.

Gregory Charles has a lot of talent and an ingratiating stage presence. However, this act would play better in a Las Vegas lounge rather than at the esteemed Café Carlyle. Cabaret enthusiasts don’t merely want to be humored by a gimmick; they want to be moved.

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About the Author

Kevin Scott Hall performed in cabaret clubs for many years and recorded three CDs, including “New Light Dawning” in 1998, which received national airplay. He also worked at the legendary piano bar, Rose’s Turn, and has taught cabaret workshops and directed shows since 1995. Kevin earned his MFA in Creative Writing at City College of New York. He is an adjunct professor in the Theatre and English departments at City College and Borough of Manhattan Community College. His novel, “Off the Charts!” was published in 2010, and his memoir, “A Quarter Inch from My Heart” (Wisdom Moon), in 2014. Kevin writes a monthly column and entertainment features for Edge Media Network, writes reviews for BistroAwards.com, and freelances for other publications.