Every now and then you see a show and know a performer is a bit under the weather, or just having an off night. On this particular occasion, vocalist Sherry Drake and guitarist Terry Thompson seemed to be putting together their set list on the fly, but they soldiered on, running through a lengthy and lively batch of songs they referred to as their “Lost in the Fifties” act. Over the course of the evening they covered songs made famous by Doris Day, Peggy Lee, Pasty Cline, Julie London, Connie Francis, and others. Though the music seemed a tad rough and under rehearsed, it was only a minor misstep in the Cabaret at Savor's otherwise solid schedule.

A short opening set by the fleet-fingered Thompson featured four instrumental duets with a pianist named Eddie (I couldn't decipher his last name when he was introduced). Taking the lead on his honey-blonde Gibson ES-350 (the model's a guess on my part, based on the body shape), Thompson plowed through Duke Ellington's “Don't Get Around Much Anymore,” Santo and Johnny's “Sleepwalk,” “Strike Up the Band” and Fats Waller's “Ain't Misbehavin',” before Sherry Drake took the stage. 

Drake focused mostly on material from the aforementioned era, which suits her voice well, especially with her clean and generally clear diction. Drake kicked off in upbeat fashion with Steve Allen's “This Could Be the Start of Something Big” before launching into a five song block of Doris Day. “Secret Love,” from Calamity Jane, and “Everybody Loves a Lover” stood out for me, but the audience favorite was the sing-along hit from Alfred Hitchcock's do-over film, The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), “Que Sera, Sera.”

“Cry Me a River,” seen with Julie London to good effect in Frank Tashlin's rock and roll movie classic, The Girl Can't Help It (1956), was given a nice workout before a pair of Connie Francis hits. The Rosemary Clooney version of  “Hey There” led into a rousing rendition of a Ray Charles song, here re-titled “Hallelujah, I Love Him So.” Another Day tune, “Love Me or Leave Me” followed, before the  sounds of Georgia Gibbs' “Tweedle Dee” filled the air.

Drake took a much needed break, and the pianist took a turn on Floyd Cramer's signature tune, “Last Date.” When she returned, she covered a pair of familiar Patsy Cline songs, “Walkin' After Midnight” and the inevitable, “Crazy.” A truly hot and surprisingly tight version of Peggy Lee's “Fever” came next, and then the DeCastro Sister's “Teach Me Tonight.” Thompson gave Drake's pipes a break and ripped through the country classic, “Alabama Jubilee,” before she returned to close with the assertive number, “I'm a Woman.”

Despite some loose arrangements,  this performance was an enjoyable and entertaining experience. I had the opportunity to hear a music that just doesn't get the airplay or, for the most part, the respect ,that it deserves. Drake and Thompson are obviously talented and capable, but I was disappointed at this night's lack of polish.

For more information, and to view a listing of their upcoming performers, go online to www.cabaretatsavor.com.

Chris Gibson
Cabaret Scenes
June 14, 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org