By Marilyn Lester****Composer Burton Lane was an American songwriting superpower. With a variety of lyricists he turned out Songbook standards by the bushel, mostly writing for film and musical theater. So why is Lane being fêted at a jazz festival? Simply because his work has become favored by jazz musicians around the globe, from Miles Davis to Billie Holiday, Ben Webster, Bill Evans, Chet Baker and many more. In this last of the 2019 Jazz in July series, artistic director and pianist Bill Charlap, with Peter Washington (bass), Carl Allen (drums), Michael Dease (trombone), the saxophones of Roxy Coss and Steve Wilson, and the sublime Sandy Stewart (vocals), generated enough high-energy jazz to power several cities for a long time to come.
Old Devil Moon: Swingin’ through the Songs of Burton Lane highlighted the “improvisational appeal and organic flow” (Charlap) of Lane’s tunes. Starting with a deceptively straight, low-key rendition of “Hurry It’s Lovely Up Here” (On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Alan Jay Lerner, lyricist), Charlap built momentum, ending the number with plenty of bebop swing. Wilson and Dease added color and texture to a tune that became an iconic scene in the film Royal Wedding: Fred Astaire begins singing “You’re All the World to Me” (Alan Jay Lerner, lyricist), building emotional vocal enthusiasm and finally dancing on the walls and ceiling of his hotel room. This version by Charlap et al invoked that scene with a joyous, bounciness.
Of the six nights that make up the annual Jazz in July festival, the highlight is always the show in which Charlap’s Mom, vocalist Sandy Stewart, appears. Stewart is a musical treasure, a singer’s singer who’s a master class in all things vocal: tone, control, phrasing, and especially interpretation. Stewart is a storyteller par excellence. With her rendition of “How Are Things in Glocca Morra?” (Finian’s Rainbow, E.Y. Harburg, lyricist) you could hear a pin drop as she painted a nostalgic picture of home far away. With the aching “Too Late Now” (Royal Wedding, Alan Jay Lerner, lyricist) Stewart defied the laws of physics, proving that energy can be contained and emitted at high voltage at the same time.
Demonstrating that he’s his mother’s son, Charlap played and sang an enthusiastic “Come Back to Me” (On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Alan Jay Lerner, lyricist) with heart and authenticity. Charlap as vocalist was a treat—an event that should perhaps happen more often. Earlier, commenting on the perfection of the lyric of the title song, he recited the lyrics to “On a Clear Day You Can See Forever” with interpretive skill. Charlap may not be a crooner, but he is a piano genius—and no doubt an appreciation of lyrics and native storytelling ability contribute to his stellar abilities in a major way.
In the realm of notable solo moments, drummer Allen demonstrated his skill and worthy improv chops on a jazzy “How About You” (Babes on Broadway, Ralph Freed, lyricist). The tenor sax of Coss with the alto sax of Wilson produced a smooth “Everything I Have Is Yours” (Dancing Lady, Harold Adamson, lyricist), while the lovely waltz “Melinda”(On a Clear Day You Can See Forever, Alan Jay Lerner, lyricist) was played by Dease, close to the melody with delightful improvisational flourishes.
Closing out Jazz in July 2019, and whetting the appetite for next year’s series, the cast performed an energizing uptempo rendition of—what else—“Old Devil Moon” (Finian’s Rainbow, E.Y. Harburg, lyricist). It was a flyin’ high and wide ending for sure, a magic carpet ride indeed.
Leave a Reply