Last
Call (con't)
They packed into The Duplex on Sheridan
Square last week to celebrate the life of D. Jay Bradley who died on
June 25 in Mykonos, Greece. Aside from friends and fellow performers
getting a chance to remember the life and good times of this beloved
and wildly popular piano man who loved Christmas, it was an event to
help raise money for the foundation the family set up that will help
bring him home to the United States. Organized by Bill Morgan, co-owner
of the club, and hosted by Lisa Asher, the performers on the bill were
all in peak form and shared many funny and poignant anecdotes and songs
that connected them to Bradley. At the end, a priceless montage of loving
video clips was shown that said it all about this joyful spirit who
touched everyone's life that knew him.
Unfortunately, many were turned
away due to the size of the club itself. Obviously, this wasn't done
on purpose but it still left a lot of Jay's friends feeling bad. I suspect
more will be coming down the road. As of this writing, Jay is in Germany
and traveling the world it seems as the drawn out, asinine process of
bringing him home goes on. Anyone who knew Jay can attest to the instant
opportunities he would find about the absurdity of it all. Jay would
find and be the first to crack jokes about this. Such was his affect
on those in his life, that its pretty hard to talk about Jay and not
chuckle.
John Hoglund
After Dark Reviews:
Betty Buckley & Kenny Werner
at The Blue Note
Songs For a Summer Night
In
her second visit to The Blue Note, the majestic voice of Betty Buckley,
along with longtime musical partner Kenny Werner, echoed through the
downtown jazz mecca like an eagle in flight. The set, called "Songs
For a Summer Night," was a potpourri of somethings old and somethings
new. At this point, if Buckley sang the phone book in Gregorian chant,
her fans would love it. As it turns out, with good reason. Sounding
better than ever, the Broadway diva sailed with ease through her eclectic
program of carefully chosen songs. This time out, Werner, shared equal
billing. And rightly so.
Part iron maiden, part wounded butterfly,
as she matures (she chides about just passing a big birthday,) Buckley's
innate interpretative abilities are even sharper than in the past. At
times she is almost pathetically vulnerable. Other times, she is commanding
and triumphant. Like Barbara Cook, she is a theater singer who relentlessly
delves deep into the lyrics and extracts every subtle and non-subtle
nuance possible from every syllable. At times, as on "So Many Stars"
(Sergio Mendes-the Bergmans, which was gorgeously arranged by Werner
in a Latino jazz/swing style) and a lush medley of "Many a New Day"
with "Oh, What a Beautiful Morning" (Rodgers-Hammerstein ll,) her voice
was so commanding, it was as if she was in a huge theater instead of
the confines of high-tech jazz room. Here, she simply soared with a
shattering belt with the famous haunting vibrato that is her hallmark.
However, that was the exception. Generally, her readings were gentle
or lightly whimsical when needed. She turned the jazz club into an intimate
room.
Testing the waters with some new
found songs, Buckley proved she was up to the task in spades. A riveting
arrangement of Abby Lincoln's "Throw It Away" mesmerized and was a serious
highlight. And the Tom Waits beauty "Take It With Me When I go," was
about as heartfelt and trenchant as it gets.
Buckley has long considered herself
a story teller in song. So do many singers. Few do it with the grace
and beauty of one who remains one of the greatest living voices in musical
theater. And, how lucky are we that she returns to the Manhattan club
scene regularly.
Teaming with Kenny Werner for over seventeen years has proven to be
fortuitous for Buckley. With her magical voice and his genius musicianship,
they are a match made in heaven. His piano riffs are teasing at first
and then crescendo to untold heights of glory. Together, they are the
perfect example of how to get it right.
The Blue Note is located at 131
West 3rd Street. Information: (212) 475 8592.
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