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We had this truly wonderful singer and he wants to talk about the band? Accompanying a singer is a special art, and not every even great musician is very good at it. Last Wednesday we heard a singer with such subtle phrasing which varies in depth at need, and a monster range of pitch, level and timber. The band has to hear that and support it; a very difficult thing to do. The famous classical accompanist, Gerald Moore, would have agreed. And this band? Perfection.
I can’t stop listening to her 2005 recording (Everything I Love, Joy EDC002) of Porter songs. Elaine Delmar gave us an evening of songs by the Cole Porter. and other geniuses; it was a beautifully constructed evening. She sings all of the verses, which is a rarity, sadly. Elaine’s live performance is such a treat. She keeps the chat to a minimum, so we get lots of songs (see the set list that Steve Jordan made). For her, the audience is part of her performance; they love her and she loves them back. She even allowed community singing for “I’m Going to Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter”.
I was deeply affected by “Killing Me Softly with His Songs”. Elaine seems to have a team of voices, such is her range of timbre, and she used them to such effect in this song, She sang “Summertime” with just Simon Thorpe’s bass accompaniment. Elaine used a deep low register timer for most of this song, so beautiful. In “I Got Rhythm” she used her upper registers, both sweet and sassy. And the breath control; Holding a note for bar after bar with constant pitch and volume, always beautiful.
Elaine left lots of room for the band to solo. Lovely work from Barry Green, Simon Thorpe and Bobby Worth. I would hire them as a trio anytime.
The sound was not as good as it should in the first set. Someone had put up large mirrors all around our room. The acoustic was like a badly designed cathedral. I got it a lot better for the second set.
The next gig is Julian Costello’s “Connections” . Expect lots of melodic lyricism from this fine saxophone quartet.
Take care,
Dave
ELAINE DELMAR AND HER TRIO SETLIST AT FLEECE JAZZ, 13/04/22 SET LIST: (Steve Jordan)
It Might As Well Be Spring (Rodgers and Hammerstein)
Stairway to Paradise (George and Ira Gershwin)
Let Me Love You (Bart Howard)
Honeysuckle Rose (Fats Waller)
Killing Me Softly With His Song (Roberta Flack)
I’m Going To Sit Right Down and Write Myself A Letter ( Fats Waller)
If You Love Me (Original music written by Marguerite Monnot Original lyrics written by Edith Piaf Translated to English by Geoffrey Parsons)
Hymn for Jobim (Duncan Lamont)
There’s A Boat That’s Leaving Soon For New York (Gershwin)
Send In The Clowns (Stephen Sondheim)
Where or When (Rodgers and Hart)
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I Got Rhythm (Gershwin)
Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered (Rodgers and Hart)
No More Blues (Antonio Carlos Jobim) Original was “Chega de Saudade”
Like a Lover (Marilyn Bergman, Alan Bergman, Dori Caymmi, Nelson Motta)
Tea for Two (Vincent Youmans and Irving Caesar)
Joy (don’t know)
I Won’t Last A Day Without You (Paul Williams)
S’Wonderful (Gershwin)
It’s Alright With Me (Cole Porter)
Summertime (Gershwin)
I Get A Kick Out Of You (Cole Porter)
ENCORE: Yours Sincerely (Rodgers and Hart)