Written by Paulanne Simmons
There are some songs that beg to be savored and interpreted. They have lyrics that put our minds to work and melodies that touch our heart. These are the songs Annie Ross has been singing every Tuesday night at the Metropolitan Room since the cabaret opened.
Ross has been a prominent figure in the Jazz world for over 50 years. For anyone who has ever had the pleasure of hearing her perfect phrasing and rhythm, it’s easy to see why. These days Ross may not have the power and projection of a young woman, but she has a style that will never grow old.
On Sept 4th, Ross’ song list included Billie Holiday’s “Travelin’ Light,” which Ross said she “borrowed for the night,” and Johnny Mercer and Harold Arlen’s “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive,” which she admitted “I should do more.” She was backed by a tremendous group of musicians – Tardo Hammer on piano, Neal Miner on bass, Jimmy Wormworth on drums and Warren Vache on cornet.
In all the songs Ross performed, she seemed to be in a very intimate dialogue with the musicians, sometimes letting the trumpet or the drums take the lead (both Wormworth and Vache had fantastic solos), sometimes taking the musicians into her personal territory.
At one point in the evening, someone in he audience made a request for Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein’s “Nobody Else But Me.” Ross and the band delivered the song as if they had been practicing it for days.
Indeed the breadth of Ross’s expertise and the scope of her repertoire make one think she’d be able to sing whatever any fan might request. Judging by the audience’s response that night, the Metropolitan Room was filled with fans.
Annie Ross graces the stage of the Metropolitan Room every Tues. evening 212 206-0440
Posted by Sandi Durell
on September 8, 2012. Filed under Cabaret,Cabaret and Interviews - Sandi Durell,COLUMNS,ENTERTAIMENT.
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