Brent Barrett's Kander & Ebb Album came out in 1999 on Varese Sarabande and has been played many, many times in our house ever since its release. The album received wonderful reviews, and rightly so. I'd often thought we'd missed seeing him promote this album with a live concert here in New York upon its release. He revealed at his show last night that he never actually got a chance to do a show at the album's release. However, he did do shows in Barcelona to promote it ("half-shows" is the way his music director Chris Denny put it). Well, that's a rather long commute. So, it was with great anticipation I attended his show at The Metropolitan Room.
I'm pleased to say that hearing him "sing the album" at The Met Room was just as thrilling as I imagined it would be. With the opening strains of "Life Is" (Zorba) he punched out this number with gusto bringing us all to immediate attention. Then, by means of introduction he gave us a piece of "Willkommen" (Cabaret) in which he almost mimed the part of the MC in that show. Interestingly, he said, his first exposure to Kander & Ebb was the film of Cabaret, where he admitted, he was confused by his attraction to both Liza Minnelli and Michael York. (Join the club).
The show did not contain all of the songs on his album, but rather added some like "My Coloring Book" written originally for Kaye Ballard and sung here plaintively and beautifully, plus a song from The Scottsboro Boys ("Commencing in Chattanooga") that was loud and broad, and "Love, and Love Alone" from The Visit which has not yet made it to Broadway.
The boisterous "Second Chance" (Steel Pier) was uplifting and very smart with some really wicked playing by Mr. Denny. "Seeing Things" (The Happy Time) is one hellavu lovely tune that should be more well known. "All That Jazz" (Chicago) was down and dirty, particularly with the added harmonica playing by bassist Christopher North. Yummy! Barrett has returned often to the Broadway cast of Chicago playing Billy Flynn to perfection with his tall matinee-idol good looks and booming polished vocals. He said he imagines Billy as a cross between a television evangelist and a used car salesman.
Brent offered a biography of these two songwriters that may have gone on a little too long for this sophisticated New York audience who know them rather well. The crowd not only contained a number of Broadway performers, but also was honored to have Mr. Kander sitting in the center VIP banquette, looking immensely proud and amazingly young for his age (87). Mr. Ebb died in 2004 at the young age of 76. Brent's stories of the phone calls he received from Fred were delightful and illustrated how much the both of them admired and appreciated him singing their songs.
Other tunes he covered included "Sometimes a Day Goes By" (Woman of the Year) that was beautifully sung, the powerful "The Skin of Our Teeth" (Over and Over) that nearly blew us out onto 22nd Street - a real anthem, and a blend of "City Lights" (The Act) and "New York, New York" that was gutsy and thrilling.
He ended the evening solemnly and gorgeously with "A Quiet Thing" (Flora, The Red Menace) that was positively perfect. On his album, Mr. Kander played tenderly for him, but here Chris Denny created magic and awe with his playing that surely must have pleased the songwriters no end.
Gregg Culling
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