Welcome a new talent to cabaret: Tamra Hayden. Already a recognized theater actress/singer, she made her cabaret debut over two June evenings at The Duplex, displaying her original, country-style contemporary songs, her band, and -- glory be! -- a trained, true, lovely voice. Her show highlighted her new CD of original songs, A Day at the Fair, material that, in all fairness, was only moderately tuneful, but was brought to vigorous life by Tamra's fresh, flip, friendly style, her own guitar work, and a back-up quartet of musicians under the right-on direction of pianist/arranger Jeff Waxman. Capable of delivering show tunes, standards and Nashville-flavored material, and performing with genuine charm and a sense of fun, Tamra admitted, in a post-show chat, that she is still "a work in progress," her direction to be determined. Whichever path she chooses, cabaret-goers will want to beat their own path to hear her as she hones in on her strengths.

Peter Haas
Cabaret Scenes
June 28, 2007
www.cabaretscenes.org