To Fortune Esposito’s throbbing big jazz band (Esposito on guitar, David Crone on piano, Brian DeWitt on drums, Rob Broelmann on bass and Frank Petrocelli on saxophone) playing loudly and chanting "Go, Daddy-O," 2007 Debut MAC Award winner Rob Langeder burst onto the stage looking and sounding like a young Mark Murphy. Wearing a black fedora, his long black hair in tumbling curls, and sporting a new goatee, Langeder opened with a rocking "All of Me," scatting effortlessly on the second chorus. We knew immediately that the performance was going to be a big joyful party! With this show, Langeder demonstrated that, as well as having a strong legit voice, he can swing and wail with the best jazz singers in the business.

The theme of Any Place I Hang My Hat... is autobiographical. His parents migrated from Europe during World War II to Brazil and six years later to California. His mother was a band singer and his father a jazz musician. The South American experience led to jokes about "juevos" and a jazzy Latin song, "Mas Que Nada," with audience participation on the seed rattles ("eggs") and maracas. Langeder’s father’s work in the San Francisco jazz clubs led to discord in his marriage, which Langeder heartbreakingly dramatized with Elvis Costello’s song of reconciliation, "Wave a White Flag." Recalling a song his mother used to sing, he performed a simple and beautiful "The Nearness of You" (Ned Washington-Hoagy Carmichael) to the sole plaintive accompaniment of Esposito on guitar. Although most of the selections in this act were big jazz band arrangements, there were a few beautiful quiet moments like this.

During his youth, Langeder appeared in three school productions of Guys and Dolls. In admiration of Frank Loesser, he gently sang "My Time of Day," swung jazzily on "Luck Be a Lady," and was joined on the comic duet "Sue Me" by his partner and backup singer, Jenna Esposito, singing the tongue-twisting comic Adelaide part of the duet.

Langeder changed pace with a simple arrangement of "They Can’t Take That Away from Me" in memory of his beloved sister who died young while he was going to school in Chicago.

As a tribute to his three home towns, Langeder began with the verse to "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," blended into "My Kind of Town (Chicago Is)" and then sang Rodgers and Hart’s "Manhattan," with some special up-to-date witty lyrics as a demonstration of his love for New York.

One of the show’s highlights was his riveting performance of "Moody’s Mood For Love," interpolating "I’m In the Mood For Love" lyrics into the famous James Moody/Eddie Jefferson words and countermelody, dueling with the exceptional saxophone of Frank Petrocelli.

Langeder’s great favorites as a kid were Louis Jordan and Louis Prima, so we also got resounding and lively versions of Jordan’s "Is You Is or Is You Ain’t (My Baby)" and Prima’s "Jump, Jive an’ Wail." On these, Langeder turned his "legit" voice into more Murphy-like swinging and growling and was supported stunningly by Esposito’s full band.

Langeder sang about searching for love "Around the World" and Jenna responded with "Bill Bailey, Won’t You Please Come Home," the songs joining in counterpoint providing strong emotionally empathy.

Donning the fedora again, "Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home" was the first "last song." Then, against a constant drumbeat, "Blue Skies" (scatting on the second chorus to each instrument in the band) and closing with more Prima, he and each member of the band tearing the roof off the room with "Just a Gigolo/ I Ain’t Got Nobody." Langeder’s personality and chops and Esposito’s band and arrangements create a super fun experience.

Rob Langeder’s Any Place I Hang My Hat... repeats at the Metropolitan Room 34 West 22nd Street, New York, NY on Saturday, April 25 at 5 p.m. and Wednesday, May 20 at 9:45 p.m.

Joe Regan, Jr.
Cabaret Scenes
April 18, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org