The season of the tribute show continues, with Barry Lloyd (San Francisco's Crown Prince of Cabaret) tackling the suave, elegant stylings of his childhood idol Bobby Short. After listening to Short's album of Noel Coward material around 1970, Lloyd worked as a piano accompanist for years, honing his skills and dreaming of the day when he could follow in Short's illustrious footsteps.

Lloyd has prepared well and the parallels between the two are undeniable. Both work the witty, literate lyrics of writers like Coward and Porter with elegant phrasing, both add vibrancy and nuance to a song with their piano arrangements and effortless elegance, and both possess a smooth, debonair touch with a lyric.

Short modestly considered himself a 'saloon singer,' even though he spent the 37 years at the swanky Cafe Carlyle playing to New York's well-heeled audiences. In this show, Lloyd carries on Short's tradition. Known for presenting unknown material, Short would make them staples of his repertoire along with popular numbers from some of the greatest songwriters of his day. Not all the materials presented here are considered "Great American Songbook" and you won't be hearing many of these songs covered by many cabaret singers. The songs are often difficult to sing with unfamiliar melodies that force the listener to really listen.

Some standout beauties were Vernon Duke and Ira Gershwin's "I Can't Get Started," the humorous ditty "And Her Mother Came Too," Coward's "If Love Were All" with its beautiful lyric, and Duke's tribute to the big apple "Autumn in New York." If you ask me, cabaret can use a sophisticated, challenging show like this and San Francisco is happy to call Barry Lloyd its favorite 'saloon singer.'

Steve Murray
Cabaret Scenes
June 28, 2007
www.cabaretscenes.org