Theme: "Lift Yourself Up - Songs of Inspiration."
The theme of "Lift Yourself Up" was welcome as March came (as it usually does) in like a Lion. Those who walked through the outside snow certainly are looking for the Lamb to make an appearance soon! But it was all smiles inside, and warm fuzzy feelings by the end of the night.
Our Co-Host of the evening was the MAC Award Winning, and currently MAC Nominated (Female Vocalist), Kim Grogg! She was accompanied throughout the evening by Steven Ray Watkins, the amazing pianist, music director, and arranger, who also did a stellar job singing backup vocals for Kim. They started out in a rousing way by inviting us to go "Up The Ladder to the Roof." Later, in her three-song mini-set, Kim sang a beautiful combination of "Follow Your Star" and "Anyplace I Hang My Hat is Home," followed by "Meantime" and the raucous Cole Porter gem "Supermarket in Old Peking." At the end of the evening, Kim and Steven returned to perform a mashup of "Happy as the Day is Long"/"Happy," which made us all clap our hands to the rhythm and want to hug the world at its completion.
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| Our Illustrious Co-Host, Kim Grogg |
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| Singer/Director/Salon Spotlight Lennie Watts |
We all seem to feel that music uplifts us from the bottom of our very soul, and certainly classical music has helped our ears codify it to a certain extent. Mark Janas proved it by selecting a few uplifting pieces from classical music, usually those that feature a slow rhythm, beautiful canons and chords, simple, deep and resonating. Beethoven's 132nd String Quartet, for instance, was an homage to his own healing and recovery, and featured a beautiful rocking feeling, like a baby rocking in his mother's arms. Mark also played from Gustov Holst, a him to his country in which he pledged "the service of my love." And then he featured the hymn "Sine Nomine (For All The Saints)," which certainly had a comforting way of alternating chords and an ease of harmony. For the last number, Mark was joined by Matthew Martin Ward, who provided an excellent "walking bass line" (an organ player's term for the movement of the feet - not the hands - throughout a piece). Their four-hand improvisation of an "inspirational" song grew and grew from classical fingering to more American Gospel themes until it burst into two obvious (and full-voiced from the audience) sing along songs: "You'll Never Walk Alone" (Carousel) and "Climb Ev'ry Mountain" (The Sound of Music). Shivers!!!
Roster of singers for the evening (in order of appearance):
Click link to visit the performer’s website, when available.
All piano accompaniment by Mark Janas unless otherwise noted.
Kim Grogg (with Steven Ray Watkins on piano)
Bob Diamond
Ira Lee Collings
Sarika Andavolu
Natalie Arnesod (with Scott Evan Davis on piano)
Adam Shapiro (with Peter Saxe on piano)
Sally Darling (with Matthew Martin Ward on piano)
Matthew Martin Ward (with himself on piano)
Peggy Eason (with Steven Ray Watkins on piano)
Natasha Castillo (with Steven Ray Watkins on piano)
John Kaprowski (with Steven Ray Watkins on piano)
David Ballard
Adam Shapiro
Kim Grogg & Lennie Watts (with Steven Ray Watkins on piano)
Helen Glassman (with Steven Ray Watkins on piano)
Jim Speake (with Steven Ray Watkins on piano)
Eve Eaton (with Steven Ray Watkins on piano)
Richard Eisenberg
Zach Wobensmith
Sallie Jo Hadley
Kristoffer Lowe
Special thanks to tonight’s pianists and musicians: Mark Janas, Matthew Martin Ward, Steven Ray Watkins, Peter Saxe, and Scott Evan Davis!
And thank you to Gill Alexandre on lights and sound, and our amazing
waitstaff who always handle the demands of a full house with grace and
style.
Upcoming Shows:
Ongoing: Bobbie Horowitz's monthly series "It's Just a Number" at the Metropolitan Room. Next one April 11th at 1pm, 34 West 22nd St., NYC, and will include Adam Shapiro.
Ongoing: Matthew Martin Ward plays for live opera on Saturdays at Le Papillon Bistro & Bar, 22 E 54th St, NYC.
Monday, March 3, 2015 (9:30pm) - Tanya Moberly, Bobbie Horowitz, and Jim Speake sing for the "March is Cabaret Month" Gala at the Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd St., NYC.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015 (9:30pm) - Peter Saxe will present "Saxe and the City" at the Duplex Theater, 61 Christopher St, NYC.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015 (7pm) - John Koprowski is appearing in “Five Years That Rocked The World” at Don’t Tell Mama, 343 W 46th St, NYC.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015 (6:30pm) - Kristoffer Lowe will sing with Bistro Award winners past and present for the 30th Bistro Awards Gala at the Gotham Comedy Club, 208 West 23rd St, NYC.
Friday, March 6, 2015 (7pm) - Kristoffer Lowe will sing at the Ervin Drake Tribute at 54 Below, 254 W 54th St, NYC.
Saturday, March 7, 2015 (5pm) - John Koprowski is appearing in “Five Years That Rocked The World” at Don’t Tell Mama, 343 W 46th St, NYC.
Monday, March 9, 2015 (7pm) - Bob Diamond and Peggy Eason are appearing in the Joe Franklin Memorial tribute show at the Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd St., NYC.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015 - Zach Wobensmith (with Bill Zeffiro and Anna Marie Sell) will perform at La Mediterranee, 947 Second Avenue (at 50th St), NYC.
Friday, March 13, 2015 - Matthew Martin Ward will play at Forlini's, 93 Baxter St, NYC.
Monday, March 16, 2015 (9:30pm) - Natasha Castillo will help sing at an arrangement show/class at Don't Tell Mama, 343 W 46th St, NYC.
Wednesday, March 18, 2015 (7pm) - Sallie Jo Hadley is appearing in a show produced by Lennie Watts at Don’t Tell Mama, 343 W 46th St, NYC.
Sunday, March 22, 2015 (5pm) - Sally Darling is
appearing in “Matters of the Heart” with music director Matthew Martin
Ward at Don’t Tell Mama, 343 W 46th St, NYC.
Sunday, March 22nd, 2015 (7pm) - Matthew Martin Ward will host an opera open mic with featured soloists at La Rivista Restaurant, 313 West 46th, NYC.
Friday, March 27th, 2015 (7pm) - Ira Lee Collings will perform at Dana Lorge's variety show at the Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd St., NYC.
Saturday, March 28, 2015 (5pm) - Sally Darling is
appearing in “Matters of the Heart”with music director Matthew Martin
Ward at Don’t Tell Mama, 343 W 46th St, NYC.
Friday, March 20, 2015 (7pm) and Tuesday, March 31, 2015 (9:30pm) - Tanya Moberly is bringing a new series of shows called, “Songs I Feel Like Singing”
(with a rotation of musicians - these dates feature Ritt Henn) to Don’t Tell Mama, 343 W 46th St, NYC.
Tuesday, April 1, 2015 (7pm) - Gretchen Reinhagen will "Reinhagen Redux" herself in a return series - this date entitled "Almost Blue," with music director Tracy Stark, director Barry Kleinbort. At the Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd St., NYC.
Saturday, April 18, 2015 - Eve Eaton brings herself "Back to Billy: A Love Affair 30 Years in the Making" with music direction by Steven Ray Watkins and direction by Lennie Watts.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015 (8pm and 10pm) - David Ballard performs at the TrueNorth cabaret.
Monday, May 4, 2015 (7pm) - Gretchen Reinhagen will "Reinhagen Redux" herself in a return series - this date entitled "Special Kaye: A Tribute to the Incomparable Kaye Ballard," with music director David Gaines, director Barry Kleinbort. At the Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd St., NYC.
Sunday, June 7, 2015 (4pm) - Gretchen Reinhagen will "Reinhagen Redux" herself in a return series - this date entitled "Listen to the Music: The Songs of My 70s," with music director Andrew David Sotomayor, director Barry Kleinbort. At the Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22nd St., NYC.
June, 2015 (TBA) - Adam Shapiro will bring his final performance of "Nothing Normal."
Next Week’s Salon
Next week, this coming Sunday March 8th, our Co-Hostess with the Mostess will be the ebullient Sally Darling, guiding us through the theme of "The Way We Are." Our Salon Spotlight will be Stephanie Weems. Catch you on the flip side of this week, then!
Sierra Rein
Blogette for The Salon
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