Marcus Goldhaber

January 27, 2016

Marcus GoldhaberFirst, let’s talk a bit about Frank Sinatra. A musical icon (maybe THE musical icon), he has influenced a few generations of male vocalists. There are some who want to do his songs, some who want to emulate his style, some who want to capture that “Rat Pack” cool of a bygone era, and some who want to be him—at their worst they try to cash in on a nostalgia that is not their own and that they probably don’t even understand on any real level. There’s Michael Bublé, whose crass take on that Vegas/nightclub world is all but unbearable with its palpable smarminess. There’s Harry Connick, Jr., who brings as much depth and character to his Sinatra thievery as Rich Little might do in a 3-minute bit of celebrity impression.

And then there are those singers who genuinely admire Sinatra’s contribution to the art of singing and his great taste in songs, and use it as a springboard for their own self-expression. While that self-expression element has not yet jelled in his performance, Marcus Goldhaber falls into this category. He seems to genuinely know and love this material and style, but is smart enough not to slavishly “do” Sinatra. Certainly there were glimmers of the Chairman of the Board throughout, but that probably has more to do with the fact that Goldhaber has not fully found his own voice, so the Sinatra echoes reverberate in the empty spaces in the show.

Awkwardly titled “Free & Easy: Livin’ on Swing Street,” his show at the Iridium jazz club was a high concept more suited to the cabaret stage than a jazz venue, but even there it would be too rigid and restrictive to really work. The singer imagined a mythical cul-de-sac on which a number of jazz greats have houses next door to Sinatra, and he asked the audience to join him as he strolled around, symbolically knocking on doors by doing material associated with the likes of Nat King Cole, Mose Allison, Sarah Vaughan, Mel Tormé, the aforementioned Mr. Connick, and others. The lack of sophistication in this conceit was unintentionally underscored by his pairing of Jeff Moss’s “The People in Your Neighborhood” (from “Sesame Street”) with Fred (Mr.) Rodgers’s “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?” early on, and did not suit the other material in his program at all. As if that weren’t enough for one show, he used each stop and each song to comment on the stages of a relationship, so it was concept on top of concept.

This is all unfortunate because when Goldhaber just settled in and sang, he showed promise and intelligence. He needs to pay more attention to lyrics and story and not try so hard to be hip and swinging, especially since his swing is lacking. His presentation too often remained stiff, like someone who really cares about the material, and realizes how good it is, but is too timid or inexperienced to simply sing it. He appeared to be judging his performance as we were watching it. I think he would benefit immensely from a director helping him to shape his delivery and his stage presence.

The songs he chose to cover are generally first-rate and not overdone in either the jazz or the cabaret world. It was a pleasure to hear Carroll Coates and Hub Atwood’s “No One Ever Tells You,” from Sinatra’s 1956 album “A Swingin’ Affair!” He was at his freest letting go on Mose Allison’s “Your Mind Is On Vacation” and at his most relaxed and disarming on “Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams” (Harry Barris, Ted Koehler, Billy Moll). Mixed with this heady repertoire, his original songs paled, especially lyrically; words and titles were often too prosaic or arch, like “In the Oeuvre of the In Between” (written with Jon Davis). Including fewer of them would have not only helped this situation, but also shortened an overlong, two-act show.

Throughout the evening, he received exemplary support from a quintet headed by Matt Baker, whose arrangements were just right. Goldhaber closed the show with his best original, “When I’m Singing a Song,” about the joy of performing. If he can just let us see more of that joy and loosen up, he’ll be someone to watch out for.

“Free & Easy: Livin’ on Swing Street”
Iridium  –  January 13

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About the Author

Gerry Geddes has conceived and directed a number of musical revues—including the Bistro- and MAC Award-winning "Monday in the Dark with George" and "Put On Your Saturday Suit-Words & Music by Jimmy Webb"—and directed many cabaret artists, including André De Shields, Helen Baldassare, Darius de Haas, and drag artist Julia Van Cartier. He directs "The David Drumgold Variety Show," currently in residence at Manhattan Movement & Arts Center, and has produced a number of recordings, including two Bistro-winning CDs. He’s taught vocal performance at The New School, NYU, and London’s Goldsmith’s College and continues to conduct private workshops and master classes. As a writer and critic, he has covered New York’s performing arts scene for over 40 years in both local and national publications; his lyrics have been sung by several cabaret and recording artists. Gerry is an artist in residence at Pangea, and a regular contributor to the podcast “Troubadours & Raconteurs.” He just completed a memoir of his life in NYC called “Didn’t I Ever Tell You This?”