Live music recorded for the radio is not dead, at least as long as Mike Greensill is around. Always a champion of the Great American Songbook and great musicians, Greensill presented an evening of both to be recorded for an eventual radio program. A fixture of the popular West Coast Live radio program, Mike has chosen here to focus on guest performers and the music of their choice. The conversational question-and-answer portion is informative, witty and intimate. Jazz guitarist Bruce Forman and renowned longtime producer Orrin Keepnews were this show’s honorees. Forman and the trio played instrumental versions of Rodgers and Hart’s 1935 “Its Easy to Remember,” Sammy Cahn/Gene DePaul's ever popular “Teach Me Tonight,” and Thad Jones' “A Child Is Born.” After a quick interview, Forman transformed “My Melancholy Baby” into a delightful swing. Mike and his compatriots, John Wiitala on bass and Vince Lateano on drums, provide excellent accompaniment for their guests with splendid arrangements and a great passion for the material.

Adding her exquisite vocals to the shows is Mike's musical companion and wife, Wesla Whitfield, who makes an old chestnut like “Surrey with the Fringe on Top” new and exciting, and displayed her unique interpretative skills with a lovely rendition of Cole Porter's “Goodbye, Little Dream, Goodbye.” Whitfield reaches deep into the lyric, wrenching the heartbreak out of the number. She's in excellent voice these days and it’s always a joy to hear her and the Greensill Trio own each selection they might choose. Orrin Keepnews, writer as well as jazz producer, is a one-of-a-kind musical archive, having worked with the likes of Theolonius Monk, Wes Montgomery, Bill Evans and Nat and Cannonball Adderly. He has a close personal connection to Mike and Welsa having produced a majority of her CDs. He's a wealth of great backstories on the history of music and that's exactly what this series of shows has been about.

Steve Murray
Cabaret Scenes
December 21, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org