<strong>Jersey</strong>Reviews<strong>Jazz</strong><strong>New</strong> York City Round-upBy Robert L. Danielsleft to right:Robert Daniels mugswith Wynton Marsalis.Ben Vereen at Feinstein’sat <strong>the</strong> Regency.Marlene Verplanck stopsfor a moment withHilary Kole.Cowboy in ManhattanWillie Nelson is a man of very few words.The cowboy hat defined <strong>the</strong> gentleman fromTexas, who somehow fit comfortably against<strong>the</strong> scenic view of Central Park South andColumbus Circle. Nelson took <strong>the</strong> stagealongside jazz trumpet star and artisticdirector of <strong>Jazz</strong> at Lincoln Center, WyntonMarsalis, for a mixed hour of down homeblues and gently phrased pop balladry.Nelson’s subtle guitar lines blended tightlywith Marsalis and a keenly well-flavoredquartet that included Walter Blandings onreeds and Dan Nimmer on piano.On familiar old tunes like “Sweet GeorgiaBrown” and “Basin Street Blues” Marsalisaccented Nelson’s subtle vocals with muteand plunger growls, while Blandings addedadventurous tenor flights.“Ain’t Nobody’s Business” found Marsalistrading witty barbs with Nelson’s dryresponses, and for Merle Travis’s “That’sAll,” Nimmer added a piano excursion thattruly demonstrated how a jazz point of viewcan redefine an old country classic.There is something truly satisfying in <strong>the</strong>subtlety of Nelson’s vocal interpretation of“Stardust.” His dry straightforward take on<strong>the</strong> Hoagy Carmichael classic revealed <strong>the</strong>inner purity and grace of Mitchell Parish’slyrics. Marsalis added a clean open solo thatpunctuated <strong>the</strong> dear old tune with a crispand bracing statement.Ano<strong>the</strong>r Carmichael classic, “Georgia on MyMind,” turned out to be pointedlypicturesque and reflective, and for fun <strong>the</strong>old Woody Herman question arose —“Caldonia, Caldonia. What makes your bighead so hard?”Nelson brought a sweeping open rangeclarity to four sold-out concerts and he cansaddle up in Gotham anytime. As I waitedfor my driver, I noticed a row of cementblocks outside <strong>the</strong> building. Do you suppose<strong>the</strong>y were hitchin’ posts?Mr. Bojangles on Park AvenueCrosstown Ben Vereen made his <strong>New</strong> Yorknightclub debut at Feinstein’s at <strong>the</strong>Regency. The Broadway veteran reprised hisTony winning turn in “Pippin” conjuring“Magic to Do” by Stephen Schwartz, a bit ofstage prestidigitation that has become histrademark. The dancer in Vereen seemed tocry out for space, but on <strong>the</strong> tiny stage all hecould manage was a few swivels and turns,and those he managed to execute wi<strong>the</strong>legance.Vereen has plenty of pluck and dash thatsurfaced in tribute medleys to Frank Sinatraand Sammy Davis, Jr. For Davis, Vereen tooka path that led from “Candy Man” and “I’veGot a Lot of Livin’ to Do” to “What Kind ofFool Am I?” They were all delivered withbold Broadway flair, <strong>the</strong> best turn being“Mr. Bojangles,” a number that not onlydefines <strong>the</strong> memory of Bill Robinson, butwith a tip of a bowler hat and a jaunty pose,recalls all <strong>the</strong> great dancin’ men who havepassed our way.The entertainer works very hard andperhaps a little too hard at times, but in <strong>the</strong>end, when he sings “If I Ruled <strong>the</strong> World,” itbecomes clear that he is a true survivorwhose dancin’ feet have carried him througha long winding road of trial and triumph.Torchy <strong>Jazz</strong> Baby at BirdlandAmong <strong>the</strong> jazz babies, darling divas anddreamy chanteuses <strong>the</strong>re are few quite solovely as Hilary Kole who graced <strong>the</strong>Birdland stage, bringing considerablewarmth to four chilly winter nights. With aseductive slate of torch songs from <strong>the</strong> pensof Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Harold Arlenand Richard Rodgers, in addition to <strong>the</strong>delightfully droll and impish lyrics ofLorenz Hart, Kole defined <strong>the</strong> art ofromance with all its sublime passion, joyand heartbreak.Accompanying herself at <strong>the</strong> piano, Kolesang “Haunted Heart,” a rapturous 1948torcher from a revue called “Inside U.S.A.”Set to music by Arthur Schwartz, <strong>the</strong> ladyrevealed <strong>the</strong> dark beauty of Howard Dietz’shaunting lyric. The joyous confessional ofPorter’s “So in Love” made a listener’s heartbeat a little faster.One of <strong>the</strong> saddest waltzes ever penned is“What’ll I Do?” written by Berlin followinga heavy serving of champagne in 1924. Thesongwriter had experienced <strong>the</strong> bittersweetpang of loss and loneliness, and Koledefined <strong>the</strong> jazz age lamentation with apointedly profound haunting turn.And, with a buoyant Tedd Firth at <strong>the</strong>piano, <strong>the</strong> lady also proved she can swing,taking Arlen’s “I’ve Got <strong>the</strong> World on aString” for a spirited globe trotting spin. JJMr. Daniels is a jazz, cabaret and <strong>the</strong>atrereviewer for Variety, Daily Variety Gothamand <strong>New</strong> York Theater <strong>New</strong>s.34 April 2007 <strong>Jersey</strong><strong>Jazz</strong>
85 George Street in <strong>New</strong> BrunswickApril 2007 <strong>Jersey</strong><strong>Jazz</strong> 35