By Bart Greenberg***The youthful (he claims he still gets carded) balladeer David Marino returned to Birdland after a long absence during which he was in Paris starring in a stage version of the charming film musical The Young Girls of Rochefort (Les Demoiselles de Rochefort). The production brought him acclaim, a new romance, and an appreciation for the composer of the work, Michel Legrand. The last was reflected in his 
new show, which was dedicated to the expansive catalogue of the songwriter. It was a great opportunity to admire his musicianship, purity of tone and passion.
The evening was definitely bilingual with an equal number of numbers delivered in French and in English. His compelling acting made the former songs’ intentions clear, even if the words did slide past the non-French speaking audience. A bit more translation would have been welcome for pieces such as “Quand ca Balance” and “Je Vivrai Sans Toi” (both with lyrics by Legrand). He wisely offered “Chanson de Maxence” (Jacque Demy), his big solo from Young Girls twice, first in its original language and at the end of the evening in its adaptation as “You Must Believe in Spring,” a very wise theatrical touch.
Speaking of theatricality, Marino surrounded himself with the finest of musicians for the evening. The expert Tedd Firth serving as music director and pianist, bassist David Finck and drummer Mark McLean, plus trumpeter Ian Cleaver, 
heavily featured throughout the show. The singer certainly displayed a wide range of styles, with forays into jazz and contemporary sounds, but he excelled as the afore-mentioned balladeer. He seemed heavily influenced by Frank Sinatra in his “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life,” and definitely his expressed hero Tony Bennett in his “How Do You Keep the Music Playing?” (lyrics for both by Alan and Marilyn Bergman).
Not all of Marino’s set list was devoted to well-known standards. A delightful discovery was “Ask Yourself Why” (also the Bergmans), which he deftly personalized. Another charming obscurity was “The Gingerbread Man” (Bermans), which he shared with special guest, Kate Kortum, with whom he will be touring next year. She’s the winner of the 2025 annual Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, and the audience could hear why. Another welcome surprises was Firth essaying his classical skills with Rachmaninoff’s “Concerto Instrumental” leading smoothly into “The Windmills of Your Mind” (Bergmans) with it’s hypnotizing stream of images clearly formed by Marino, who succeeded throughout in bringing the audience into his world with his words and his voice, in a return eagerly anticipated by his fans, who completely filled the room.
Photos by Bart Greenberg
