Let’s see, the sleepy-paced “Overture” suggests easy listening and, true to promise, when Babbie Green makes her vocal entrance withtheclassic “I Cover the Waterfront” (Johnny Green/Edward Heyman), the lethargic beginning assures you the lady is definitely not on speed. But the controlled presentation grows on you and the ease of transition through register brings understanding that there’s plenty of time, no reason to rush.

The daughter of the aforementioned Mr. Green and actress Betty Furness (probably best remembered as the corporate spokesperson icon—”you can be sure...if it’s Westinghouse”—and possessed of a couture wardrobe to fill the Met Museum costume institute singlehandedly), Ms. Green spends her genetic inheritance wisely. The musical skills of her father and sure and convincing center stage story-selling represented by her maternal DNA come together throughout this CD.

Singing along with snatches of solos and oft syncopated supple harmonic backup are Julie Esposito and John Boswell, who offers most of the keyboard kisses with sometime assists by Babbie, a melange of both her own and her dad’s songs are recited: alternately lonely or languidly/ spiritedly but always lovingly. Among Johnny’s better known numbers, standouts are, in addition to the cited “Waterfront,” “Coquette” (with Carmen Lombardo/Gus Kahn), “The Steam Is on the Beam” (with George Marion, Jr.) and “The Turntable Song” (with Leo Robin) all pert and patter and all delivered by our tuneful trio with brio and soft, smooth harmony—not to give short shrift to the eternal painful plaint “Body and Soul” (with Edward Heyman/Robert Sour/Frank Eyton). As for Green the younger, many of her opuses seem to be simple, poignant personal poetry. Try “Stars Above Me”/”Anybody Out There,” “I Knew I’d Know,” “No Harm Done” or—and this I think is as happy as she gets—“And I Dance.”

As for it all from start to finish, picture the party’s been going for a while, some gifted guests take to the piano to the enthusiasm of the gravitating crowd, and everyone is by turns amused and rapt, amused and antsy, amused and politely moving away to sofas and settees to continue their conversations.

Noah Tree
Cabaret Scenes
November 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org