Written by Sandi Durell
This is truly a step back in time to the music of the Great American Songbook. It’s inspirational hearing two 27 year olds and the band behind them transform the small theatre at 59e59 Theaters into an intimate supper club. Pete and Will Anderson are the ultra talented twins leading this six piece band of phenomenal musicians on a fast track of the fine music of the Dorsey Brothers, interspersed with television and film highlights of the 40s & 50s and a little patter.
Of course, if you’re of a certain generation you’ll be swingin’ and swayin’ and wanting to get up and dance to some of the songs featured in this 90 minute musical marvel like “Tangerine,” “Loose Lid Special” or “Sunny Side of the Street.” Hopefully the younger folks (if they get a chance to see and hear the Anderson Bros.) will be there doing the same.
Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey came from humble beginnings, born to Irish immigrant parents in Shenandoah, Pa. Pop Dorsey was a music teacher and a coal miner and the boys learned their trades starting as kids, playing professionally by the time they were teenagers. Tommy was known for his smooth trombone playing (albeit no trombone on this gig), and Jimmy played saxophone and clarinet, writing many brilliant songs.
What makes this concert so delicious is watching a 50s TV special of ‘What’s My Line” where panelists Dorothy Kilgallen, Fred Allen, Arlene Francis and Bennett Cerf are blindfolded trying to guess who the mystery guests are, as the Dorsey Bros. tweet their answers “yes” or “no” using their instrument mouthpieces to stump them. The Dorseys split because of musical differences, each on their own successful path and reunited after their Pop’s death to star in the 1947 movie “The Fabulous Dorseys,” including snippets of the great Art Tatum and Paul Whitman, the movie sprinkled throughout the evening, contributing greatly as the knock-out band of the Anderson Twins, and Jon-Erik Kellso on trumpet, Kevin Dorn on drums, Clovis Nicolas on bass and Ehud Asherie on piano relive the styles and arrangements that made the Dorseys so iconic like Rimsky-Korsakov’s “Song of India” and “Flight of the Bumble Bee,” “Grand Central Getaway,” “Beebe” or “Oodles of Noodles” – - the swinging jazz inflections and riffs remarkable.
Pete and Will Anderson play multiple instruments (Pete – alto & tenor sax, clarinet and bass clarinet) and Will plays alto sax, clarinet and flute. They are their own icons. You can also hear them as part of Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks, creating these great musical rhythms, making it hard to sit still as I found myself moving in my seat, tapping my feet and fingers to these pulsating jazz rhythms.
If you love jazz, swing and grand musical arrangements, catch this concert at 59e59 Theaters, thru Oct. 7th. 212 753-5959
Posted by Sandi Durell
on September 17, 2012. Filed under Cabaret,Cabaret and Interviews - Sandi Durell,COLUMNS,ENTERTAIMENT.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
You must be logged in to post a comment Login