Jeffrey Gimble bridged his musical theater background with his love of jazz singing in a previous Gardenia show he co-starred in called Sondheim Swings. Now he has crossed the bridge with his feet firmly planted in jazz vocal territory, and a solid footing it is. During the evening, he demonstrated his mastery of the genre with a first-rate performance showcasing imaginative phrasing, swinging rhythms, scat and vocalese. Unlike some jazz singers, he also was able to convey the meaning of the lyrics, such as in his slow, sensitive reading of “Sweet and Lovely.”

His focus for the evening was his love of jazz, which he backed up with a well-thought-out mix of songs. He opened with a casual yet effective treatment of “Hello, Young Lovers” before moving into contemporary material and an original. His tune, “Creatures,” written with Mark Winkler, about tiny creatures of love, was a clever, amusing exploration of culinary delights. Julia Fordham’s “Genius” was done as a bossa nova, which sat particularly well in Gimble’s vocal range.

Jeffrey set up his songs well, including a funny intro for the Marilyn Harris song, “Don’t Wanna Know,” and an introduction to Milton Nascimento’s “Encontros e Despedidas” that helpfully explained the intention of the song—portraying life inside a train station with people who will never meet, i.e. Encounters and Farewells.

Credit goes to Rich Eames and Tamir Hendelman for their deft arrangements. Eames, as musical director and pianist, fronted a swinging trio that featured Ryan McGillicduddy on drums and Steve Barnes on bass.

Les Traub
Cabaret Scenes
June 9, 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org