For music fans in the greater Chicago area, Ron Hawking’s long-running Frank Sinatra tribute, His Way, is appreciated in our local culture like deep dish pizza. In his new show, titled Ron Hawking and Friends, the crooner offers almost exclusively uptempo jazz/swing arrangements. Hawking delivers vocal slides, riffs and scat with relaxed grace. His Johnny Carson imitation is funny and good and added needed variety. It was an unusual choice to pair Ervin Drake’s “It Was a Very Good Year” and “I’ve Got the World On a String” (music by Harold Arlen; lyrics by Ted Koehler). Although both tunes reflect on positive romance, the two songs have a much different musical and lyrical feel—the former wistful and the latter bouncy. In contrast to the complex jazz arrangements Hawking obviously prefers, he chose to sing his encore in Italian: “Con Te Partiro,” (Andrea Bocelli’s monster hit). Although most of us did not understand the lyrics, it was in this song in particular where Hawking let the underlying feeling soar. It also gave him a grand opportunity to demonstrate the breadth of his vocal instrument. Bringing more simple, tender moments earlier in this entertaining show would make it even better.

Carla Gordon
Cabaret Scenes
October 3, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org