“Can't act. Slightly bald. Also dances.” So goes the legend about RKO’s reaction to Fred Astaire’s screen test. A dancer since childhood, jazz vocalist Laura Wolfe turned this quote into the catalyst for her third CD and her newest show.

Wolfe is a warm presence with a bright, clear and colorful tone. She possesses a rich alto, expressive eyes, and the thoughtful phrasing of a seasoned jazz veteran. Standouts included an up-tempo and alluring “Come Rain or Come Shine,” a sultry, Latin-infused “Let’s Misbehave” and a seamless medley of “It Only Happens When I Dance with You” and “The Best Things Happen When You’re Dancing.”

While Wolfe usually performs with the Karen Henderson Trio, here she worked only with piano. Charlie Creasy drew every nuance out of Henderson’s intricate arrangements, doing a superb job of improvising the many long instrumentals, but Wolfe could have trimmed several of these sections in the absence of sax, bass and drums.

After an introduction about her affinity for dance and movie musicals, her patter focused primarily on the back story about each movie and dancer. This was often interesting – for example, Cyd Charisse was originally cast in the Ann Miller role in Easter Parade – but it gave me little information about Wolfe. I view learning about a performer an essential part of the cabaret experience. A notable exception was “It Ain’t Necessarily So,” introduced with a moving story about a childhood chance to perform for Sammy Davis, Jr. You could sense her channeling Davis’s versatility as she deftly traveled from jazz waltz to blues to rumba.

“Go” was an unexpected treat. A gutsy rejoinder to a deadbeat lover, it was written by Betty Garrett, who for ten years has been Wolfe’s mentor. She said, “I’ve saved the best for last,” before beginning a tribute to Garrett, which imbued the song with depth and meaning.

Credit producer Les Michaels for bringing this appealing singer to the Desert as part of his Summer Cabaret Series. Realizing the economics of cabaret, I would encourage him to find a way to bring her back with the rest of her ensemble so audiences can experience the full impact of her jazz style.

Jerome Elliott
Cabaret Scenes
May 22, 2010
www.cabaretscenes.org