If one were to imagine a classic cabaret singer, it could very well be Effie Joy.

She delivers a song in a simple, straightforward style and makes it look effortless.  There’s very little visible fussing—no vocal crescendos, no big hand gestures and no false drama.  Joy stands there and just sings—softly, smoothly, confidently, intimately—like she’s performing for a handful of guests in her living room rather than a standing-room-only crowd in a cabaret room.

But the result is powerful.

Backed by a trio of musicians—Rick Hills on piano, Tim Emmons on bass and the versatile Dave Bass on saxophone and flute—Joy led a very enthusiastic audience through a series of songs notable for their lyrical beauty.

Highlights included “Not Exactly Paris,” by Michael (Mickey) Leonard and Russell George—a small gem that deals with what love wasn’t to demonstrate how great it was; “Quiet,” for which Joy wrote the music to Tom Culver’s lyrics, that includes some beautiful metaphors about love; and Arthur Hamilton’s “Rain Sometimes,” whose sweet descriptions about the ups and downs in a relationship were intensified by the haunting sound of Bass’ saxophone.

Joy included a couple of show tunes—Irving Berlin’s “The Best Thing for You Would Be Me” as an opening number and an up-tempo version of Kern and Hammerstein’s “Nobody Else But Me.”

But the area in which she excels is clearly ballads, including “When the Meadow Was Bloomin’," with lyrics by Johnny Mercer and music, written years later, by Barry Manilow; “Shining Sea,” by Johnny Mandel; and “But Beautiful,” by Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen. There was also a joyous rendition of “I’m in Love Again” by Peggy Lee, Cy Coleman and Bill Schluger.

Joy departed from her more serious agenda to sing “Bruce,” by John Wallowitch, in which she gives advice to a drag queen with a serious lack of sartorial taste.

Her closing number was “The Curtain Falls,” a Bobby Darin song that serves as a terrific sendoff about sharing the moments of performance with strangers who now depart as friends.

It may be too obvious to say but … Effie Joy is truly a joy to hear!

Elliot Zwiebach
Cabaret Scenes
April 17, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org