Danny Bacher. Photo: John Abbott
"Morning, Evening, Noon & Night" with Co-Host Danny Bacher
Singer/Songwriter/Saxophonist, international Jazz singer/writer/player Danny Bacher was our illustrious Co-Host for the evening. A Margaret Whiting Award winner, he was named in the top 3 best vocalists in the United States in a 2019 National Jazz Times reader’s poll. As Co-Host, he worked the crowd with witty New Jersey-esque humor and jokes, and made sure to get some good banter from all the performers in between numbers. He whipped the theme into action at the top of the evening with a spicy rendition of "Early in the Morning" (by Dallas Bartley, Leo Hickman, and Louis Jordan), switching between smooth and dexterous bari-tenor vocals and sax instrumental breaks.
Stepping into the "noontime hour"-themed mid-set section, Danny played "Cloudy" and "Nuages" (= Clouds) by Django Reinhardt. He whipped out and gloriously played his soprano saxophone in this wonderful instrumental piece, first playing one melody, and then the other. The sax sang in an expertly smooth tone, like a cloud bouncing and bobbing above Mark's grounded piano. The songs came together in the second half of the piece so wonderfully, a musical rainbow made of water and sun.
Catch Danny in many of his events throughout the Fall of 2021 and into 2022, and head next door to neighbor Swing 46 on Thursday, September 30th to watch him play from 5:30pm-8:30pm with The Early Set Jazz Quartet.
Mark Janas/Classical Corner
Before starting the Classical Corner, Mark made sure to honor one of the greats of Broadway and the American Songbook by having us all sing "Happy Birthday" to George Gershwin, who would have been a s'wonderful 123 years old. HBDGG!
During the Pandemic, Mark knew that he had to keep his hands moving, so he made sure to pull and practice classical pieces that were basically workouts for the hands. Two that he felt were required works to use were by Chopin; The Black Etude - a workout for the right hand, which plays only black keys, and the "Fantasy Impromptu," which is sort of an etude with left hand playing in 3 and the right hand playing in 4. He also wanted to work on Chopin's famous piece, the 1831 "Revolutionary Etude," which works the left hand almost completely through in 16th notes. Mark also spoke of the need for Classical instrumentalists to find a way through the interpretation of a classical piece without the use of lyrics. Musicians, rather than singers, have to create own their subtext as anchors for their performances, especially when the subtext isn't spelled out by the composer. Chopin wrote this while his homeplace of Poland was full of uprisings, during a time full of uncertainty. Those left-handed 16th notes reflected this uncertainty and unrest. During the last year, Mark would hear the strife and powerful agitation from the Black Lives Movement as they literally marched outside his window, and while he practiced the sounds and rhythm of these marches melded with his private rehearsal. The piece has a gorgeous melody (played simply it has a regal and proud presence, passion and yearning) and to Mark it evoked feelings of struggle and reaching for a new reality. Hairpins of crescendos and decrescendos and swells are emotional feelings, plus the three-beat pulse of the words "Black Lives Matter" helped Mark set his interpretation of Chopin's music into a modern march of protest. He then played the number so we could hear those consistent and agitating 16th notes mixed with that beautiful melody and pulsing notes.
Mark is bringing "Mark Janas' Classical Corner" back to Don't Tell Mama as a full show October 4th, November 8th, and December 6th, and is excited to introduce Robert Schwartz (concert pianist from San Francisco) who will join to perform some of the hardest work of Ravel's (amongst other pieces) to the October 4th performance.
Roster of Performers for the Evening (in order of appearance):
Click the link to visit the performer’s website or other links, as available.
All piano accompaniment by Mark Janas unless otherwise noted.
Co-Host Danny Bacher
Graeme Lister
Bob Brady
Charlotte Libov
Johnathan Kuhn
Alicia Terry
Bob Simonello
Richie Eisenberg (self on piano)
Annie Lebeaux (self on piano)
Maureen Taylor
Classical Corner
Co-Host Danny Bacher
Co-Host Danny Bacher
Special thanks to Mark Janas, and pianists Annie Lebeaux, Scott Mayfield, and Richard Eisenberg. Thanks also to David Ballard on lights and sound, and to the wonderful waitstaff and thoughtful management at Don't Tell Mama. Finally, a big thank you to our videographer for the evening, the amazing Steve Bustamante.
Upcoming Shows
Wednesday, September 29, 2021 (7pm) - Sara Laursen Produces and Directs "The Comeback Cabaret" at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Saturday, October 2, 2021 (4pm) - Sara Laursen Produces and Directs "The Comeback Cabaret" at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Monday, October 4, 2021 (7pm) - Mark Janas brings his event, "Mark Janas' Classical Corner" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Friday, October 8, 2021 (7pm) - Sara Laursen Produces and Directs "The Comeback Cabaret" at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Saturday, October 9, 2021 (8pm) - Tanya Moberly Directs Amy Beth Williams in "A Thousand Beautiful Things" at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Sunday, October 10, 2021 (8pm) - Tanya Moberly Directs Rian Keating (musical direction by Woody Regan) in "time stamps: life fragments in story and song" at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Monday, October 11, 2021 (7pm) - Sara Laursen Produces and Directs "The Comeback Cabaret" at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Wednesday, October 13, 2021 (7pm) - Tanya Moberly Directs Stephanie Trudeau in "Becoming Chavela: Songs & Stories of Chavela Vargas" at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Friday, October 15, 2021 (7pm) - Tanya Moberly is appearing in "I Love NY Songwriters: Part II" (including a song by Annie LeBeaux) at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Sunday, October 17, 2021 (3pm) - Sara Laursen Produces and Directs "The Comeback Cabaret" at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Friday, October 22, 2021 (9:30pm) - Scott Mayfield is Music Director for "Feelin Myself: A Musical Journey with Cheyenne Walent" at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Sunday, October 24, 2021 (4pm) - Tanya Moberly Directs Amy Beth Williams in "A Thousand Beautiful Things" at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Sunday, October 24, 2021 (7pm) - Sara Laursen Produces and Directs "The Comeback Cabaret" at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Monday, October 25, 2021 - Graeme Lister with Music Director David Pearl performs "Femmes Fatales and Other Distractions" at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Friday, October 29, 2021 (7pm) - Goldie Dver will be a part of "Ricky Ritzel's Broadway" at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Sunday, October 31, 2021 (2pm & 7pm) - See Michael Colby's show "Mrs McThing", a benefit for TADA Theater, 15 W 28th Street, NYC.
Sunday, October 31, 2021 - Sierra Rein and Julie Reyburn are appearing in "Sondheim Unplugged," 54 Below, 254 W 54th St, NYC.
Wednesday, November 3, 2021 (7pm) - Tanya Moberly Directs Amy Beth Williams in "A Thousand Beautiful Things" at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Thursday, November 4, 2021 (7pm) - Tanya Moberly Directs Rian Keating (musical direction by Woody Regan) in "time stamps: life fragments in story and song" at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Monday, November 8, 2021 (7pm) - Mark Janas brings his event, "Mark Janas' Classical Corner" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Thursday, November 18, 2021 (7pm) - Tanya Moberly Directs Amy Beth Williams in "A Thousand Beautiful Things" at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Friday, November 19, 2021 (7pm) - Tanya Moberly is appearing in "I Love NY Songwriters: Part II" (including a song by Annie LeBeaux) at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Saturday, November 20, 2021 (8pm) - Tanya Moberly Directs Rian Keating (musical direction by Woody Regan) in "time stamps: life fragments in story and song" at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Sunday, November 28, 2021 - Sierra Rein and Julie Reyburn are appearing in "Sondheim Unplugged", 54 Below, 254 W 54th St, NYC.
Monday, December 6, 2021 (7pm) - Mark Janas brings his event, "Mark Janas' Classical Corner" to Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Monday, December 6, 2021 - Michael Colby will present as part of "Winter Rhythms."
Tuesday, December 7, 2021 - Bob Brady performs "Wonderful, If You Insist" in Naples, FL.
Wednesday, December 8, 2021 - Michael Colby's musical, "Ludlow Ladd," will be performed at Winter Rhythms at Urban Stages, 259 West 30th Street, NYC.
Friday, December 17, 2021 (7pm) - Tanya Moberly is appearing in "I Love NY Songwriters: Part II" (including a song by Annie LeBeaux) at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
Saturday, December 18, 2021 (5pm) - Tanya Moberly Directs Rian Keating (musical direction by Woody Regan) in "time stamps: life fragments in story and song" at Don't Tell Mama, 343 West 46th Street, NYC.
