Terese Genecco
and Her Little Big band
Iridium Jazz Club
New York, NY
Along with “Her Little Big Band” comprised of a group of A-1 players including Barry Levitt, piano; Skip Ward, bass; Joe Abba, drums; Sean Harkness, guitar; Mark Miller, trombone; Kenny Lavender, trumpet; Jeff Lederer, tenor sax and Mayra Casales on bongo, she started her set with a rousing, swing version of “The Man I Love.” As my Italian grandmother would have said…”can yee imagine?”
Terese, too, grew up in an Italian-Catholic family and told us that the Rat Pack music was playing all the time. She was inspired by and took her lead from Frank, Dean, Sammy and the “boys” and their influence serves her well. She showed her strong vocal technique and sturdy “chops” on songs like “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” “Ain’t That a Kick in the Head,” and she demonstrated Louis Armstrong-esque phrasing finesse with bassist Daniel Fabricant’s arrangement of “A Woman Is a Sometime Thing” from Porgy and Bess. She brings strength, energy and joy to the stage and to her songs and her band clearly responds in kind.
Other songs in her set featured particularly fine solos from her “Little Big Band.” “A Woman Is a Sometimes Thing,” for example, had a tasty solo from Kenny Lavender on trumpet. Sean Harkness showed his prowess on guitar on “If I Was A Boy” and tenor saxophonist, Jeff Lederer soloed on “Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home.” Another highlight was the lone bongo accompaniment of Mayra Casales on the entire medley of “boy” songs from West Side Story. The ever-affable and extremely fine pianist Barry Levitt held all the players tightly together throughout and showed why he’s held in such high regard in both the jazz and cabaret communities.
Terese returns to the Iridium on November 24 with some new songs and new arrangements and you don’t want to miss her!
Lynn DiMenna
Cabaret Scenes
October 27, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org