Ronny Whyte topped himself again with an amazing assemblage of talent in a venue famous for hosting stars from the world of jazz.  In fact, the weekly midday program has become one of St. Peter’s longest-running performing arts collaborations. Framed by the extraordinary sixteen-piece Russ Kassoff Big Band and singer Catherine Dupuis (pictured) singing “In the Still of the Night,” some of the brightest names in the music business entertained a delighted audience of loyal fans who filled every seat.

With so many stellar performances, it’s difficult to select only a few to praise. That said, Dupuis deserves special recognition for a voice evoking the strength and substance of Judy Garland and her ability to project the feeling of a song over the band’s volume. Eric Comstock, as relaxed and charming as ever, imbued “Old Devil Moon” (Finian’s Rainbow) with an appropriately mysterious and tropical sensibility.  Ed Laub and Bucky Pizzarelli had the audience drifting along under a quiet, snow-lit sky (“Snowfall”), while Jay Leonhart’s wacky sense of humor on “The Dodgers” (“…the woman who I married saw the Dodgers play at Ebbet’s Field”) proved to be contagious, as always. Junior Mance performed a fast-paced piano sprint (“On Broadway”), and Chris Gillespie’s combo (“Take Five” and Bach variations) provided a veritable conversation, which ranged from jazz to classical. Marion Cowings, a rare crooner of the old school, has impeccable phrasing and a melodious voice, which embraced every line of “I Had the Craziest Dream.” Carol Fredette’s rendition of one of the best known songs from Irving Berlin’s Annie Get Your Gun, “They Say It’s Wonderful,” imparted an entirely new meaning to the iconic lyric, suggesting that the words “..falling in love is wonderful...” might lack a certain amount of credibility and consistency with her own experience.

Among the other veteran performers were: Art Baron; Mauricio DeSouza; Patti Dunham (“A Foggy Day”); Ed Laub and Bucky Pizzarelli; Alex Leonard (“Blues in the Night” and “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive”) both backed by Leonhart and DeSouza; Keith Loftis and Boots Maleson, working with Gillespie; Lenore Raphael (“If I Were a Bell”); Daryl Sherman (“Flamingo”); Marlene VerPlanck (“The Party Upstairs”); and Ronny Whyte (“The Hamptons Blues”).

The event was sponsored by the Midtown Arts Common and dedicated to the memory of Edmund Anderson, the creator of Midtown Jazz, Joan Uttal Anderson, the co-producer, and Barbara Lea, the late host of the long-running series.

Jerry Osterberg
Cabaret Scenes
May 9, 2012
www.cabaretscenes.org