Hilary Kole: A Self-Portrait

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Hilary Kole

A Self-Portrait

Iridium NYC, October 9, 2014

Reviewed by Ron Forman for Cabaret Scenes

Hilary-Kole-Self-Portrait-Cabaret-Scenes-Magazine_212Hilary Kole launched her new CD, A Self-Portrait, with a delightful show at Iridium NYC. The title is revealing, as the show/recording consisted of songs that are her personal favorites. It was a self-portrait in that it showed off Kole’s many talents and physical beauty. Her sound is one of the most pleasing of any of today’s cabaret performers, and it works beautifully when on a ballad. She was also able to display her talent as a jazz singer, pianist and songwriter. Although Kole is best known for performing material from the Great American Songbook, this show featured selections written predominately after 1960.

She opened with “Come a Little Closer” followed by a particularly beautiful “While We’re Young.” Bobby Troup’s “Lemon Twist” gave Kole an opportunity to show off her scatting ability. She mentioned that Leonard Bernstein was her favorite composer before giving us a touching “Some Other Time” (lyrics: Comden & Green). After a slow-tempo verse, she did a swinging, scatting “I Remember You.” She accompanied herself on piano for Joni Mitchell’s “River” and debuted a song she had written three days previously: “Walking Home.” The closing was a very jazzy “It’s All Right with Me.”

 

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Ron Forman

Ron Forman has been a Mathematics Professor at Kingsborough Community College for 45 years. In that time, he has managed to branch out in many different areas. From 1977 to 1994 he was co-owner of Comics Unlimited, the third largest comic book distribution company in the USA. In 1999,after a lifetime of secretly wanting to do a radio program, he began his weekly Sweet Sounds program on WKRB 90.3 FM, dedicated to keeping the music of the Great American Songbook alive and accessible. This introduced him to the world of cabaret, which led to his position as a reviewer for Cabaret Scenes.