With mixed results, there has been a trend over recent years for some cabaret artists to record their shows and later re-lease them on a CD that fans can enjoy. Some of those albums are top drawer. Such is the case with Baby Jane Dexter’s latest CD, The Real World, recorded live at the Metropolitan Room. While not all shows are worth preserving, Dexter has released a loving memory that will live on as one of the better albums to come out of a club setting.

Blues empress Ma Rainey said, “I can’t tell my future, so I’m going to tell my past.” Those words might have been uttered by Dexter as she put together this daring show. She paints a mixed narrative of emotions on a wide canvas. And, it’s all here on one disk. In many ways, this album is better than seeing the show, because the listener catches every nuance and special moment that made this one of Dexter’s most impressive cabaret outings to date.

With Ross Patterson at the piano, Dexter dives so deep, she almost drowns in a sea of emotions that revolves around serious topics. There are so many highlights, it’s hard to single out a few. Of particular note are readings of the haunting Roy Orbison/Jeff Lynne “A Love So Beautiful” and John Sebastian’s beauty, “I Had a Dream.” Both are sung with heartfelt expression that makes each definitive and wrenching. “Reckless Blues” is a fun romp—worthy of her inner red-hot mama—that sizzles. And, the album’s title cut should not be overlooked just because it opens the CD. Sung with conviction and stealth, the song sets up what is to follow. Occasionally, well-chosen opening numbers are forgotten in the shuffle as a show unfolds. Not so here. This image-filled prophecy is a beauty that not only sets the stage, but lingers magically throughout. And, it’s Dexter magic at its best—captured on an unforgettable disk.

John Hoglund
Cabaret Scenes
July 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org