The Salon Wrap- Up for December 4, 2016 - "Mother Nature"

Nature, the gentlest mother,
Impatient of no child,
The feeblest or the waywardest, —
Her admonition mild

In forest and the hill
By traveller is heard,
Restraining rampant squirrel
Or too impetuous bird.

How fair her conversation,
A summer afternoon, —
Her household, her assembly;
And when the sun goes down

Her voice among the aisles
Incites the timid prayer
Of the minutest cricket,
The most unworthy flower.

When all the children sleep
She turns as long away
As will suffice to light her lamps;
Then, bending from the sky

With infinite affection
And infiniter care,
Her golden finger on her lip,
Wills silence everywhere.

- Emily Dickinson

It may have been cold and crisp outdoors, but it was nothing but warmth and love indoors.  What a wonderful evening.  Our co-host for this week was the incredible Barb Jungr!  This dame comes all the way from Britain, and she's left nothing behind -- she brings everything she has on stage with her, and charms everyone from her first step on.  Barb began the night with a darker "Wichita Lineman" by Bob Dylan (who happens to be a Nobel Prize-winner for literature).

She sang her opening of the second set, "Beautiful Life," as if it were her personal anthem -- with such conviction and sentimentality.  Bob Dylan's "Man in The Long Black Coat" followed, and she then showed off her story-telling skills with her next song (also by Dylan -- a song to his then wife),"Sarah."  She told a very funny story about Jimmy Webb and her next song -- all Webb hears in the second verse is "an imperfect rhyme." The meaning of the song to others is basically lost on him, because all he hears is the imperfect rhyme.  And that's a song-writer. ;)  But Barb sang the imperfect rhyme with complete perfection and brought down the house.  Finally, she brought it home with "Feeling Good" by Newley and Bricusse.

Quick Wrap - Classical Corner

Our resident brilliant genius, Mark Janas, played the first movement of Bach's Italian concerto, first having broken down the tonic and dominant chord structure and also speaking about the cycle of fifths.  Mark explained that harmony is in the very nature of sound -- we hear overtones with any sound we here, even if it's a clanking hammer.  He also told us that Bach was really who balanced the system between the chromatic and the diatonic scale.

Roster of performers for the evening (in order of appearance):
Click link to visit the performer’s website or other links, when available.
All piano accompaniment by Mark Janas unless otherwise noted.

Ira Lee Collings
Richard Eisenberg
Jerome Weinstein
Joe Regan, Jr.
Susan Neuffer
Dr. Lauren Martinez
Janice Hall
Sally Darling (with Matthew Martin Ward on piano)
Matthew Martin Ward (on piano)
Steve Bustamante (also on guitar)
Joseph Mulholland
Candice Oden
Marnie Klar
Classical Corner
Tanya Moberly
Miguel Braganza
Dawn Derow and Marcus Goldhaber

Special thanks to tonight’s musicians: Mark Janas, Matthew Martin Ward, and Steve Bustamante.

And thank you to Jared Gilmore on lights and sound, and our amazing waitstaff who always handle the demands of a full house with grace and style.

Ongoing Shows: 
Monday nights (7pm): Opera Open Mic at Shangai Mong with Mark Janas and Matthew Martin Ward, 30 West 32nd Street, NYC. www.shanghaimongnyc.com

Upcoming Shows:

December 1-11, 2016: Many Salon singers (including Janice Hall and Matthew Martin Ward) are appearing in the Winter Rhythms Concert Series - the full schedule can be found on their website www.urbanstages.org at Urban Stages, 259 West 30th St, NYC.

Tuesday, December 6, 2016 (7pm): Marnie Klar is bringing back her show "Tuned In" (directed by Tanya Moberly) to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Tuesday, December 6, 2016 (7pm): Janice Hall is performing in "According To Kurt Weill."

Tuesday, December 6, 2016 (7pm): Dawn Drew performs "Songs for a Winter's Night" at The Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 West 42nd Street, NYC.

Wednesday, December 7, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings Loggins with Watkins" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

December 8 - 22, 2016 (various times): Candice Oden is appearing in "Macbeth" with The Seeing Place Theater at the Paradise Factory, 64 East 4th St, NYC.

Friday, December 9, 2016 (7pm): Tanya Moberly brings "Tanya Moberly Sings Loggins with Watkins" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Friday, December 9, 2016 (7pm): Matthew Martin Ward is presenting a revival of his musical, "The Lady in Penthouse B", starring Erin Cronican and Adam B Shapiro, at Urban Stages' Winter Rhythms Festival, 259 West 30th St, NYC.

Friday, December 9, 2016 (9:30pm): Janice Hall performs in The Music of Bill Zeffiro.

Sunday, December 11, 2016 (7pm): Urban Stages Winter Rhythms Concert ~ From All Of Us To All Of You: Seasonal Songs & Disney Too! Come hear Salon friends at this great concert series lasting from December 1-11th. Winter Rhythms Concert Series information can be found on their website www.urbanstages.org at Urban Stages, 259 West 30th St, NYC.

Tuesday, December 13, 2016: Sally Darling is appearing in "Totally Noel [with a bit of Sally]", with music director Matthew Martin Ward, at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016: Matthew Martin Ward is playing with Christine Pedi at 54 Below, 254 W 54th St, NYC.

Friday, December 23, 2016: Loren A. Martinez is performing at Perlas, 69-09 Roosevelt Ave, Woodside, NY. 

March 2017: Susan Neuffer is bring her show, Apocalypse Wow, back!

The Salon will be back next week, December 11, with the theme "Losing Control" with your Co-Host, Mary Liz McNamara.

We look forward to seeing you then! :)

Candice Oden
Guest Blogette for The Salon