Still tonight was Alice's night. Despite traffic conditions that meant she only had time to change her shoes she hit the deck running with Like Someone in Love.
That was just the start. Chick Corea's Windows, Lush Life with the lushest ever first chorus by Alice and Mark. Nature Boy - stupid lyric but Alice, as Nat Cole did, made a purse out of a sow's ear.
Kenny Wheeler's Everybody's Song But my Own led to a zinger of a swinger - Bye Bye Blackbird. Strange that, thanks to Al Jolson, I considered BBB the corniest of songs but then Miles recorded it and the rest is history - I blame it on my youth.
Leon Russell's A Song For You saw the first set out.
Beers and chats then, before you knew it, we were off again.
If I Knew Then What I Know Now was the showstopper in an evening of showstoppers. Recorded by Sarah Vaughan on an album entitled Swingin' Easy, Alice paid tribute by vocalising Sassy's scat chorus as well as adding some of her own inflections then trading fours with Mark Williams who was himself on a roll this evening.
A stomping Sister Sadie led to a hotly demanded encore - On the Street Where You Live.
I made my way to the number 27 bus stop which drops me off not far from the street where I live but that wasn't the song I was singing. You've guessed it - Blame it on my Youth.*
It would ill become not to mention how well the ubiquitous Abbie fitted in with the band her four bar exchanges with Alice on BBB were spot on. As for Mr Bassman - Paul was as dependable as ever.
Great gig!
Lance
* Blame it on my Youth was composed by Hollywood actor and pianist Oscar Levant who acted in a lot of musicals including one of Gene Kelly's big ones - An American in Paris. Just thought I'd say ....
No comments :
Post a Comment