I had a huge disappointment tonight. I learned that Pizza on the Park will be closing permanently in the next several months. Talk about a crying shame.  London will be at a huge loss, particularly for cabaret, without this gorgeous venue.

As for Alexander Stewart, I was anything but disappointed. This talented twenty-two-year-old jazz singer has a beautiful voice and such wonderful control of it. He glides effortlessly through his songs–all twenty-two of them!

Having said that, he still needs to find his voice—and, as one person put it, sit in his own shoes. When he opened his first set with “Too Marvelous for Words,” I did a double take just to make sure I hadn’t happened upon Michael Bublé by mistake. Then I closed my eyes, and I was convinced it was Bublé. It’s not just his voice that’s similar, but also his inflection and way he approaches notes. It’s uncanny, and the influence is obvious.

For someone less talented, this might not be a bad thing, but Alexander Stewart has a gift—and a voice that is good enough for him to claim his own territory, rather than someone else’s. I fear that, if he doesn’t, it could be his undoing. I hope that, in time, he will find a way to put his personal stamp on the songs he sings, and in—let’s say a few years—I’ll be hearing another young jazz singer and will say, “Wow! He sounds just like Alexander Stewart.”

It would also be nice for Alexander to smile more and be more playful with his audience. He sang beautifully, but he didn’t really engage with us. At one point, though, when he sang to a woman celebrating her birthday, I could see some playfulness—so go for it, Alex. Your audience will appreciate it. Otherwise, we might as well just buy your CDs and listen to them at home.

The evening’s highlights were “Love Me or Leave Me,” “Body and Soul,” “Goodbye” (which he wrote himself) and some terrific original material written by Alex Webb, his Musical Director.

It’s a great evening of jazz, but Alexander, please find your own territory and claim it. You have it in you, and next time I see you, please show me what you are about.

Stewart is supported by a fab jazz trio—Webb on piano, Gary Crobsy on bass and Andy Chapman on drums.

Alex will be appearing at The Vortex, London, on February 27.  Anyone interested in a star-hopefully-in-the-making, should high-tail it to see him.

Harold Sanditen
Cabaret Scenes
February 3, 2010
www.cabaretscenes.org