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“Making Love Songs”
54 Below – October 2 – 13, 2012
Handsome Tony DeSare has been a rising star in New York and around the country since the release of his first CD in 2005. Now, with an upcoming CD that seems to be more pop-driven and indicates a targeted aim for mainstream success, the thirty-something pianist, singer and composer is at an important crossroads in his career. And, so, DeSare opens an ambitious two-week engagement at New York’s newest and hottest club, 54 Below.
Striding to center stage (and not to his more comfortable zone behind the piano) with an energetic arrangement of “All About Love,” DeSare seems a bit unfocused as his eyes dart around the room. By the time he gets to his second number, “Somebody Loves Me” (George Gershwin, Ballard MacDonald, B.G. DeSylva), he has already found his perch on the piano bench and settles into his easygoing charm.
The show is about the different kinds of love songs, and DeSare presents them loosely, in no special order, sometimes offering some amusing patter and sometimes just identifying the songwriter. His most winning story is the one about how he came to compose a song for a company that runs a jitney service in the Hamptons, which resulted in his song that ended up being a broadcast commercial, “East to the Sea (Hampton Jitney Song).” Although DeSare often uses his reliable, smooth baritone, this song is pitched in his tenor range, which actually seems to offer more colors and vulnerability.
Introducing Cole Porter’s “Just One of Those Things” as a “lust” song, he once again tries to sing it to everyone in the room, which robs it of its intensity and lusty potential. He follows that with “All I Need Is the Girl” (Sondheim, Styne), which he describes as a favorite song, but he walks back and forth across the stage, dissipating focus.
Interestingly, he tells the audience that long before he learned the Great American Songbook, he loved the pop music of his childhood, mostly rock bands of the ’80s. His rendition of “Faithfully” (Jonathan Cain), made popular by Journey, about a man’s loyalty to his woman despite a life on the road, becomes DeSare’s touching tribute to his new wife. Another impressive quiet moment comes with his own song, the lovely “How Will I Say I Love You,” which recalls the simple sophistication of an Irving Berlin song.
All in all, though, DeSare is most impressive at the keys. He demonstrates virtuosity in a variety of styles, and watching his handiwork and hearing his intensity make for a compelling experience. Revealing that “Autumn Leaves” (music by Joseph Kosma) was the first song he learned on piano, he launches into a five-minute instrumental suite that takes us from ballad to ragtime to every musical genre in-between. Tellingly, it received his biggest ovation of the evening.
About half of the selections are on the upcoming CD, including his own “Got a Lot to Say.” He demonstrates how he recorded sounds of guitar, bass, drums, and piano using only a Yamaha grand piano. (On opening night, an audience member pointed out that he was sitting at a Steinway, which allowed for some comic improvisation.) He ends his evening with a rousing “Great Balls of Fire” (Otis Blackwell, Jack Hammer), in which he even plays a few chords with his foot, before presenting another one of his own songs as an encore.
DeSare’s band remains wordless throughout the proceedings but never wavers in its expert support of the leading man: Steve Doyle on bass, Edward Decker on guitar, and Mike Klopp on drums. As a singer, the likeable DeSare is more an entertainer than an interpreter of lyrics, but he has a varied song list and enough tricks up his sleeve to keep an audience happy for an evening on the town.
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.
