Cabaret Scenes Review - Nancy Wilson

Nancy Wilson, now in her seventies, shows us what she still can do—and better than most—no matter what age. She also lets her audience in on her vocal vulnerabilities, quite aware that she, as well as her instrument, is aging (albeit well) and making no bones about it. Most of her song selections were from a string of hits and crowd pleasers. She also wittily brought us inside (at least as much as an icon should) her roles as mother and grandmother—economically—without becoming mawkish or long-winded.

The evening opened with an instrumental, just whetting my appetite for Wilson’s arrival. Regally escorted on to the stage (Miss Wilson wore a red-carpet worthy, glove-fitting paneled gown), she firmly perched herself on a stool and proceeded to demonstrate the reasons why she has been in show-biz for some fifty years.

Ms. Wilson might be glamorous, but one never forgets that she is a singer of the highest accomplishment and distinction, talking on her music with subtle phrasing, tight rhythms and vocal control of her instrument. She has a wiry yet creamy voice, with a well-controlled vibrato, that is instantly recognizable—a prerequisite for any major artist.

Her swinging “Moondance” was a perfect way to start the evening and a richly stylized “Take Love Easy” (Duke Ellington/John Latouche) contrasted nicely. Perhaps one of my favorite tunes, Frank Loesser’s “Never Will I Marry” harkened back to the start of her career, ignited by the legendary saxophonist Cannonball Adderley. Another closely-identified tune, “Save Your Love for Me,” accompanied her selection of Great American Songbook standards. One number Wilson could have dispensed with was the overreaching version of Bonnie Raitt’s hit “I Can’t Make You Me Love You." Not even a hint of histrionics is required of her to reach us all. Some of her higher notes were not all that easy, but she did deliver a few surprisingly beautiful floated pianissimos that harked back to her youth. Her perfect band consisted of keyboardist Lou Matthews, drummer Roy McCurdy and bassist John B. Williams.

Melody Breyer-Grell
Cabaret Scenes
Octber 8, 2010
www.cabaretscenes.org



	Nancy Wilson Allen Room New York, NY
Nancy Wilson, now in her seventies, shows us what she still can do—and better than most—no matter what age. She also lets her audience in on her vocal vulnerabilities, quite aware that she, as well as her instrument, is aging (albeit well) and making no bones about it. Most of her song selections were from a string of hits and crowd pleasers. She also wittily brought us inside (at least as much as an icon should) her roles as mother and grandmother—economically—without becoming mawkish or long-winded. The evening opened with an instrumental, just whetting my appetite for Wilson’s arrival. Regally escorted on to the stage (Miss Wilson wore a red-carpet worthy, glove-fitting paneled gown), she firmly perched herself on a stool and proceeded to demonstrate the reasons why she has been in show-biz for some fifty years. Ms. Wilson might be glamorous, but one never forgets that she is a singer of the highest accomplishment and distinction, talking on her music with subtle phrasing, tight rhythms and vocal control of her instrument. She has a wiry yet creamy voice, with a well-controlled vibrato, that is instantly recognizable—a prerequisite for any major artist. Her swinging “Moondance” was a perfect way to start the evening and a richly stylized “Take Love Easy” (Duke Ellington/John Latouche) contrasted nicely. Perhaps one of my favorite tunes, Frank Loesser’s “Never Will I Marry” harkened back to the start of her career, ignited by the legendary saxophonist Cannonball Adderley. Another closely-identified tune, “Save Your Love for Me,” accompanied her selection of Great American Songbook standards. One number Wilson could have dispensed with was the overreaching version of Bonnie Raitt’s hit “I Can’t Make You Me Love You." Not even a hint of histrionics is required of her to reach us all. Some of her higher notes were not all that easy, but she did deliver a few surprisingly beautiful floated pianissimos that harked back to her youth. Her perfect band consisted of keyboardist Lou Matthews, drummer Roy McCurdy and bassist John B. Williams. Melody Breyer-Grell Cabaret Scenes Octber 8, 2010 www.cabaretscenes.org

Nancy Wilson

Allen Room New York, NY

Allen Room
New York, NY