Valarie Pettiford lights up a stage with personality, beauty, energy and pure talent.

In her latest show, In Concert, she focused on her strong singing abilities, though it’s clearly difficult for her to set aside her brilliant dancing abilities as she moved and grooved around the stage, exhibiting a sheer joy in performing. The show consisted exclusively of songs written by composer Ron Abel and lyricist Chuck Steffans — five of them specifically for Pettiford’s new act.  As Pettiford said, “They’re like my own Kander and Ebb.”

Many of the songs had a Broadway feel to them — particularly “A Place of My Own,” written for Bricktop: Queen of the Night — about the American chanteuse who found fame in Paris in the 1920s — which is wending its way toward the Great White Way.  Pettiford’s performance of it creeps up on you, starting as a dramatic ballad about the search for self, and morphing into a big up-tempo song about finding it. In complete contrast, she brought the decibel level way down with “Velvet Sky,” a sweet lullabye describing the things a baby does.

Mostly, though, she kept the energy level high, opening with “Joy,” sung in a deep powerful voice; followed by the bluesy “Strength,” in a strong, sexy performance in which her connection with the audience was palpable — both songs written expressly for her.

“Just to Be Near You” felt like a standard from the past that had been updated with a bossa nova beat, highlighted by a guitar solo by Yannis Markoulakis. “Same Old Moon” gave Pettiford another opportunity to build a song slowly to a belting finish, while “That’s My Joe,” written for her, gave her a chance to sing a simpler song about a loving pet (and to ask the question, “Why can’t unconditional love come in two-legged form?).

She sang “Slow Dancing” in a clearer, sweeter voice than was evident on most of her bluesy or belting ballads — a voice of pure simplicity on a song with a very 1940s feel.

Then it was back to high energy with “Let ‘Em Talk,” in which she exhibited lots of dance moves  — strongly supported by the conga playing of Billy Hulting.

Abel served as pianist and Musical Director, with support from Markoulakis on guitar; Hulting on percussion; Matt Lucich on drums; and Carter Wallace on bass.

Pettiford’s encore —the power ballad “Until Now” — left her audience longing for more of her dynamic stage personality.

Elliot Zwiebach
Cabaret Scenes
September 20, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org