When you come to see Gabrielle Stravelli, at the Laurie Beechman Theater – and you owe yourself that delight – be ready for a new musical experience. Gabrielle is one of a kind, and so is her show. First, there’s Gabrielle herself: adorable, gamine-like, twinkling eyes, instilling her singing with a sense of joy. Then there’s her voice: clear and clean, expressive, supple, with unforced power. Her songs: not the expected standards from the Great American Songbook, but classics in their own right, songs of loneliness and love, written by modern singers/songwriters such as Brian Wilson, Bob  Marley, David Bowie, John Hartford, Andrew Bird, Charles Mingus, Gregg Allman and others. Finally, the music-makers: a piano-less three-piece ensemble featuring Dan Nadel on flamenco guitar, Rich Stein on hand percussion, and Harel Schachal on G clarinet, together fusing Flamenco, Balkan, Middle Eastern and Klezmer styles. Add a fourth instrument: Gabrielle herself, with right-on riffs. The combination, and the performance, form a class by itself. Go. Listen. Enjoy.

Peter Haas
Cabaret Scenes
July 30, 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org