Nancy Anderson, Marilyn Maye, and more!
Hey all!
Well, I've had an extremely busy two weeks - besides tying up all of the loose ends on my CD, I've been rehearsing my show, appearing as a guest vocalist in other people's shows, and trying to see as many shows as possible! Whew!
So, here's what I've been doing...
On Sunday, 9/23, I had a fantastic night. First, I headed to Birdland to catch the lovely Nancy Anderson in her show Ten Cents A Dance. Seeing Nancy Anderson perform this show is like taking a trip back in time to the 1930s. Her look, her voice, her fantastic 10-piece band...what an absolute delight! The show kicked off with a bouncy "The Trouble With Me Is You" and went on to include a number of my favorite tunes, including "I Didn't Know What Time It Was," "It Never Entered My Mind," and "My Romance." She also gave us a sneak preview of a few songs from a new musical called Yank. Written by David and Joseph Zellnick, it's a WWII-era musical, and from what I heard of the music, they've done a terrific job of capturing the sound of that era. Yank will be playing at the Gallery Players in Park Slope (yay for Park Slope!) October 20th through November 4th. Also featured in the musical is one of my favorite song-and-dance men, Jeffry Denman as well as an old friend of mine from upstate, Chris Carfizzi! I really can't wait to see this show!
But back to Sunday, 9/23...after Nancy's show, I headed over to the Metropolitan Room to catch the incomparable Marilyn Maye. Wow. I also saw Marilyn the last time she was in the city (which was springtime this year), so I should have been better prepared for how amazing she is, but somehow she managed to completely blow me away again. Perhaps best known for appearing on the Tonight Show a mind-blowing 76 times (she was Johnny Carson's favorite singer!), Marilyn Maye is a consummate pro! She's got a killer voice and has an amazing ability to just radiate energy and joy with her music. At several points during the show, I don't believe there was a stationary body in the room - every single person was bopping or swaying or tapping or clapping...just awesome! I'm looking forward to catching Ms. Maye when she's back in November with her tribute to Johnny Carson. I can say without a doubt that this will be a show that's not to be missed!
On Tuesday evening, I had the honor of being a guest vocalist with the Julian Yeo Band at the Underground Lounge. Accompanied by piano, bass, drums, guitar, and xylophone (!) Julian delivered three easy and smooth jazz sets, and I was thrilled to be able to perform one song in each set. Even more fun was spontaneously performing a couple of duets with Julian. That was my second time going to one of his gigs at the Underground Lounge and I really had a wonderful time on both trips. Low-key and relaxed, but with an extremely high level of talent - not a bad combo at all! I'm told that this, however, was the band's farewell performance at the Underground. The good news is that they'll be doing a regular Saturday brunch at the newly re-opened Dillon's on West 54th!
I was a guest vocalist again later in the week, only this time it was at the opposite end of Manhattan at the Duplex! My good friend Arnaldo was in town from Seattle, performing his show Just An Old Fashioned Girl and I was delighted to be his "special guest star" on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. Arnaldo is a beautiful "drag chanteuse" and puts on a charming, supper-club style show. I LOVED watching the show three nights in a row - Arnaldo was terrific. Funny, engaging, witty, and elegant, he delivered a standard-filled show in a soft, sweet voice and was joined by the talented (and tuxedo-wearing!) Bob Bruneau on piano. An absolute joy - I truly hope Arnaldo graces New York with his presence again soon!
On Sunday, 9/30 I had another "doubleheader" day, as I had the opportunity to take in two more great shows at the Metropolitan Room! At 4:00, I saw the lovely and talented Leslie Orofino in her new show, "Manhattan Madness," and delighted in experiencing her warm sound, engaging personality, impeccable song selection, and most of all, her wonderful storytelling. She really made each and every song a personal experience and breathed new life into songs we've all heard time and time again. She's got one show left at the Metropolitan Room on Sunday, October 7th at 7 p.m. and then she'll be taking the show to Bob Egan's gorgeous Cosmopolitan Club on Sunday, November 4th at 7:30 p.m.!
At 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, 9/30, I returned to the Metropolitan Room for Suzanne Carrico's show, The Art of the Cahn, which featured the lyrics of Sammy Cahn. With direction by cabaret diva Mary Cleere Haran, the show moved along seamlessly. Suzanne's powerful vocals were backed by super-talents Don Rebic on piano and Steve Doyle on bass, who did a terrific job of supporting her. With so many wonderful songs to choose from, it's hard to pick a favorite, but the tender simplicity of "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry" really stood out to me.
Another great day at the Metropolitan Room!
Last night, of course was Cast Party night at Birdland, and what a great night it was! Plenty of talented regulars such as Hilary Kole, Mark Aaron James, and Ben Rauch turned in excellent performances, and there were other treats as well, most notably the fantastic Ray Jessel and Robert Kole (yep, Hilary's dad - who was Tony in West Side Story on Broadway!).
Coming up this week:
Wednesday, 10/3
Jazzaret at the Triad
9:00 p.m. at the Triad, 158 W. 72nd St.
A great weekly open mic night headed by Barry Levitt at the piano and hosted by comedy mistress Dana Lorge. This week's featured performers are Sue Matsuki and Ray Jessel. At a $5 cover and 1-drink minimum, this is a hard deal to beat! I'll be there with bells on, singing a tune or two and passing out postcards for my upcoming shows!
Friday, 10/5
Metrojam
10:15 p.m. at the Metropolitan Room, 34 W. 22nd St.
A fantastic open mic opportunity, hosted by the dapper and talented Joe Bachana. With John DiPinto on piano, Tommy Kirchmer on bass, and Bobby Sher on drums. Featured singers this week include Joan Crowe, Rob Langeder, Ray Jessel, Sue Matsuki, yours truly, AND my fabulous dad, Fortune Esposito! It's gonna be a great night, so head on over!
Just a reminder - 13 Men...and Me! (my debut CD) is coming out in 13 days!! Woohoo! And we're celebrating with a bang at the Metropolitan Room. The release party is taking place on Monday, October 15th at 9:30 p.m. I've got an amazing band backing me up and we'll be doing all of the songs from the album. Everyone in attendance on October 15th will receive a FREE CD, so make sure to get your reservations in! If you can't make the 15th, we've also got performances on Monday, October 22nd at 7 p.m. and Sunday, October 28th at 7 p.m. See you there!
That's all for now, folks! Check back for updates soon!
Well, I've had an extremely busy two weeks - besides tying up all of the loose ends on my CD, I've been rehearsing my show, appearing as a guest vocalist in other people's shows, and trying to see as many shows as possible! Whew!
So, here's what I've been doing...
On Sunday, 9/23, I had a fantastic night. First, I headed to Birdland to catch the lovely Nancy Anderson in her show Ten Cents A Dance. Seeing Nancy Anderson perform this show is like taking a trip back in time to the 1930s. Her look, her voice, her fantastic 10-piece band...what an absolute delight! The show kicked off with a bouncy "The Trouble With Me Is You" and went on to include a number of my favorite tunes, including "I Didn't Know What Time It Was," "It Never Entered My Mind," and "My Romance." She also gave us a sneak preview of a few songs from a new musical called Yank. Written by David and Joseph Zellnick, it's a WWII-era musical, and from what I heard of the music, they've done a terrific job of capturing the sound of that era. Yank will be playing at the Gallery Players in Park Slope (yay for Park Slope!) October 20th through November 4th. Also featured in the musical is one of my favorite song-and-dance men, Jeffry Denman as well as an old friend of mine from upstate, Chris Carfizzi! I really can't wait to see this show!
But back to Sunday, 9/23...after Nancy's show, I headed over to the Metropolitan Room to catch the incomparable Marilyn Maye. Wow. I also saw Marilyn the last time she was in the city (which was springtime this year), so I should have been better prepared for how amazing she is, but somehow she managed to completely blow me away again. Perhaps best known for appearing on the Tonight Show a mind-blowing 76 times (she was Johnny Carson's favorite singer!), Marilyn Maye is a consummate pro! She's got a killer voice and has an amazing ability to just radiate energy and joy with her music. At several points during the show, I don't believe there was a stationary body in the room - every single person was bopping or swaying or tapping or clapping...just awesome! I'm looking forward to catching Ms. Maye when she's back in November with her tribute to Johnny Carson. I can say without a doubt that this will be a show that's not to be missed!
On Tuesday evening, I had the honor of being a guest vocalist with the Julian Yeo Band at the Underground Lounge. Accompanied by piano, bass, drums, guitar, and xylophone (!) Julian delivered three easy and smooth jazz sets, and I was thrilled to be able to perform one song in each set. Even more fun was spontaneously performing a couple of duets with Julian. That was my second time going to one of his gigs at the Underground Lounge and I really had a wonderful time on both trips. Low-key and relaxed, but with an extremely high level of talent - not a bad combo at all! I'm told that this, however, was the band's farewell performance at the Underground. The good news is that they'll be doing a regular Saturday brunch at the newly re-opened Dillon's on West 54th!
I was a guest vocalist again later in the week, only this time it was at the opposite end of Manhattan at the Duplex! My good friend Arnaldo was in town from Seattle, performing his show Just An Old Fashioned Girl and I was delighted to be his "special guest star" on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. Arnaldo is a beautiful "drag chanteuse" and puts on a charming, supper-club style show. I LOVED watching the show three nights in a row - Arnaldo was terrific. Funny, engaging, witty, and elegant, he delivered a standard-filled show in a soft, sweet voice and was joined by the talented (and tuxedo-wearing!) Bob Bruneau on piano. An absolute joy - I truly hope Arnaldo graces New York with his presence again soon!
On Sunday, 9/30 I had another "doubleheader" day, as I had the opportunity to take in two more great shows at the Metropolitan Room! At 4:00, I saw the lovely and talented Leslie Orofino in her new show, "Manhattan Madness," and delighted in experiencing her warm sound, engaging personality, impeccable song selection, and most of all, her wonderful storytelling. She really made each and every song a personal experience and breathed new life into songs we've all heard time and time again. She's got one show left at the Metropolitan Room on Sunday, October 7th at 7 p.m. and then she'll be taking the show to Bob Egan's gorgeous Cosmopolitan Club on Sunday, November 4th at 7:30 p.m.!
At 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, 9/30, I returned to the Metropolitan Room for Suzanne Carrico's show, The Art of the Cahn, which featured the lyrics of Sammy Cahn. With direction by cabaret diva Mary Cleere Haran, the show moved along seamlessly. Suzanne's powerful vocals were backed by super-talents Don Rebic on piano and Steve Doyle on bass, who did a terrific job of supporting her. With so many wonderful songs to choose from, it's hard to pick a favorite, but the tender simplicity of "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry" really stood out to me.
Another great day at the Metropolitan Room!
Last night, of course was Cast Party night at Birdland, and what a great night it was! Plenty of talented regulars such as Hilary Kole, Mark Aaron James, and Ben Rauch turned in excellent performances, and there were other treats as well, most notably the fantastic Ray Jessel and Robert Kole (yep, Hilary's dad - who was Tony in West Side Story on Broadway!).
Coming up this week:
Wednesday, 10/3
Jazzaret at the Triad
9:00 p.m. at the Triad, 158 W. 72nd St.
A great weekly open mic night headed by Barry Levitt at the piano and hosted by comedy mistress Dana Lorge. This week's featured performers are Sue Matsuki and Ray Jessel. At a $5 cover and 1-drink minimum, this is a hard deal to beat! I'll be there with bells on, singing a tune or two and passing out postcards for my upcoming shows!
Friday, 10/5
Metrojam
10:15 p.m. at the Metropolitan Room, 34 W. 22nd St.
A fantastic open mic opportunity, hosted by the dapper and talented Joe Bachana. With John DiPinto on piano, Tommy Kirchmer on bass, and Bobby Sher on drums. Featured singers this week include Joan Crowe, Rob Langeder, Ray Jessel, Sue Matsuki, yours truly, AND my fabulous dad, Fortune Esposito! It's gonna be a great night, so head on over!
Just a reminder - 13 Men...and Me! (my debut CD) is coming out in 13 days!! Woohoo! And we're celebrating with a bang at the Metropolitan Room. The release party is taking place on Monday, October 15th at 9:30 p.m. I've got an amazing band backing me up and we'll be doing all of the songs from the album. Everyone in attendance on October 15th will receive a FREE CD, so make sure to get your reservations in! If you can't make the 15th, we've also got performances on Monday, October 22nd at 7 p.m. and Sunday, October 28th at 7 p.m. See you there!
That's all for now, folks! Check back for updates soon!
posted by Jenna @ 10:13 AM
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