By Michael Barbieri***The glorious duo of singer Elena Bennett and pianist Fred Barton recently got things swingin’ at the West Bank Cafe. Together, they recreated numbers from their timeless CD A Wrinkle in Swingtime, along with a few other swing classics and songs from the Great American Songbook. Presented less as a fully cohesive show and more as a casual, relaxed concert, Bennett and Barton were in remarkable form as they brought back memories of what I consider the golden era of cabaret and piano bar!
Both looking and sounding splendid after such a prolonged absence, they began the evening with “It’s Been a Long, Long Time” (Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn), “I Had the Craziest Dream” (Harry Warren, Mack Gordon) and “That Old Feeling” Sammy Fain, Lew Brown). And it only got better from there!
With “I Never Know When to Say When” (Leroy Anderson, Joan Ford, Jean Kerr, Walter Kerr), Bennett seduced the crowd with her languid, subtly sexy delivery, while Barton’s solo piano arrangements sounded truly orchestral, with slyly tinkling touches at the ends of certain phrases. Better yet, Bennett’s beautiful delivery of Irving Berlin’s “I Got Lost in His Arms” was powerful and measured, yet deeply romantic! One of my favorite numbers was “You’re Following Me” (Burt Bacharach, Bob Hilliard), where Elena took her vocal from a mischievous, creeping tempo to fabulous in-your-face belting! And Barton’s piano went from soft and wily to a thundering fortissimo, again echoing the sound of a big band! Additionally, at the end of “The Star You Wished Upon Last Night” (Jimmy McHugh, Buddy Kaye), Barton cleverly interpolated a phrase from “When You Wish Upon a Star” into his arrangement.
After a short break, Bennett and Barton’s second set included other time-honored hits from the era, including a bright, swingy “The Rules of the Road” (Carolyn Leigh, Cy Coleman) and a bouncy duet of “I’m Past My Prime” (Johnny Mercer, Gene De Paul) from Li’l Abner, with Fred and Elena engaging in hilarious counterpoint, explaining why they just can’t marry each other! Finally, one of the highlights of the evening was their gorgeous medley of “The Man I Love/Someone to Watch Over Me” (George & Ira Gershwin/Howard Dietz), with Bennett’s heartfelt, touching vocal evoking Judy Garland’s trademark phrasing in the best ways!
If you’ve never had the pleasure of seeing Bennett and Barton perform, trust me, you absolutely MUST! And if you have seen them, by all means, see them again and remember why they represent some of cabaret at its finest! And lucky you – they’ll be returning to the West Bank Cafe for two more performances, on Sunday October 17th and Sunday October 24th, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. So stop by and swing along with the fabulous Elena Bennett and Fred Barton!
For reservations, call 212-695-6909 or go to www.WestBankCafe.com/dinner-music.
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