Cabaret Scenes CD Review - Harold Sanditen

Taking Flight, the first album from Harold Sanditen, defines easy listening. The fifteen songs, culled from his three cabaret shows, are sung gently but with heart, absent any flights of histrionic fancy. That isn’t Sanditen’s style, as he demonstrates over and over again in a mix of standards by the likes of Kurt Weill, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer and Vincent Youmans, combined with more contemporary songs by James Taylor, Bob Dylan, John Bucchino and the Beatles.

He brings the different eras together early in the CD when he combines “One Night Only”—the Tom Eyen/Henry Krieger ultimate disco diversion—with “Speak Low” (Ogden Nash/Kurt Weill from One Touch of Venus). Starting with the more recent song—free of the brashness of the original recording—Sanditen transitions smoothly to the classic ballad, communicating deep passion in his delivery, then mixing the songs together (“One night only/Everything ends too soon, too soon”) for an effective and “perfect blendship.”

Sanditen also brings a fresh take to “I Wish You Love” (Leo Chauliac/Charles Trenet, with English lyrics by Albert A. Beach), beginning with the original lyrics in French (“Que reste-t-il de nos amours?”), then transitioning to English. But instead of simply WISHING “bluebirds in the spring,” “in July a lemonade” or “shelter from the storm,” he takes a more active position, GIVING bluebirds, lemonade, shelter “and more than this,” which jars the listener a bit into listening more attentively.

The CD gets off to a rousing start with the bossa nova rhythms of “Secret O’ Life” (James Taylor), then moves to a gentle “Come Rain or Come Shine (Harold Arlen/Johnny Mercer) that builds in power but never overwhelms. It also includes a heartfelt “More Than You Know” (Vincent Youmans/Billy Rose/Edward Eliscu), a soaring “Flight” (Craig Carnelia) and a terrific “Waters of March” (Antonio Carlos Jobim) that captures the listener in a powerful way as Sanditen simply ticks off the effects of the annual Brazilian floods.

He ends the CD with two warm ballads: John Bucchino’s “Grateful” and the Artie Butler/Phyllis Molinary classic, “Here’s to Life.”

Sanditen, who lives in London, produced the CD himself and recorded it there, backed by Nathan Martin on piano, Dave Olney on bass, Ralph Salmins on drums and Simon Bates on saxophone, clarinet and flute, with Louise Moloney on flute on two tracks.

Elliot Zwiebach
Cabaret Scenes
September 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org



	Harold Sanditen Taking Flight
Taking Flight, the first album from Harold Sanditen, defines easy listening. The fifteen songs, culled from his three cabaret shows, are sung gently but with heart, absent any flights of histrionic fancy. That isn’t Sanditen’s style, as he demonstrates over and over again in a mix of standards by the likes of Kurt Weill, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer and Vincent Youmans, combined with more contemporary songs by James Taylor, Bob Dylan, John Bucchino and the Beatles. He brings the different eras together early in the CD when he combines “One Night Only”—the Tom Eyen/Henry Krieger ultimate disco diversion—with “Speak Low” (Ogden Nash/Kurt Weill from One Touch of Venus). Starting with the more recent song—free of the brashness of the original recording—Sanditen transitions smoothly to the classic ballad, communicating deep passion in his delivery, then mixing the songs together (“One night only/Everything ends too soon, too soon”) for an effective and “perfect blendship.” Sanditen also brings a fresh take to “I Wish You Love” (Leo Chauliac/Charles Trenet, with English lyrics by Albert A. Beach), beginning with the original lyrics in French (“Que reste-t-il de nos amours?”), then transitioning to English. But instead of simply WISHING “bluebirds in the spring,” “in July a lemonade” or “shelter from the storm,” he takes a more active position, GIVING bluebirds, lemonade, shelter “and more than this,” which jars the listener a bit into listening more attentively. The CD gets off to a rousing start with the bossa nova rhythms of “Secret O’ Life” (James Taylor), then moves to a gentle “Come Rain or Come Shine (Harold Arlen/Johnny Mercer) that builds in power but never overwhelms. It also includes a heartfelt “More Than You Know” (Vincent Youmans/Billy Rose/Edward Eliscu), a soaring “Flight” (Craig Carnelia) and a terrific “Waters of March” (Antonio Carlos Jobim) that captures the listener in a powerful way as Sanditen simply ticks off the effects of the annual Brazilian floods. He ends the CD with two warm ballads: John Bucchino’s “Grateful” and the Artie Butler/Phyllis Molinary classic, “Here’s to Life.” Sanditen, who lives in London, produced the CD himself and recorded it there, backed by Nathan Martin on piano, Dave Olney on bass, Ralph Salmins on drums and Simon Bates on saxophone, clarinet and flute, with Louise Moloney on flute on two tracks. Elliot Zwiebach Cabaret Scenes September 2011 www.cabaretscenes.org