When Dee Dee Bridgewater started her tribute to Billie Holiday, she announced to the audience that the evening would be “a celebration of Billie. We are not trying to emulate or be maudlin or sad.”

True to her word, Bridgewater followed with two high-energy hours that captured many moods of the Holiday legacy: the brightness of “When You’re Smiling”; the sassiness of “T’Ain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do”; the charm of “My Mother’s Son-In-Law”; and the plaintive longing of “Lover Man.”  But she accomplished it all while providing her distinctive interpretation of the material.

In her intro to the gut-wrenching “Strange Fruit,” Bridgewater offered the best justification I’ve ever heard for a performer doing the song. She stated that Holiday was committed to performing the song even when it cost her bookings. So she was performing it to honor Holiday’s commitment to the piece.

Bridgewater’s verve and infectious spirit made the cavernous Strathmore feel like an intimate jazz boîte. It was especially fun to watch her seemingly spontaneous interactions with her great musicians: Edsel Gomez (piano/Musical Director), Craig Handy (reeds), Bruce Cox (drums), and Kenny Davis (bass).

Michael Miyazaki
Cabaret Scenes
November 6, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org