Minda Larsen
My Southern Song
Metropolitan Room, NYC, June 1, 2016
Reviewed by Alix Cohen for Cabaret Scenes
MetroStar runner-up Josephine Sanges opened this evening with a sampling that included “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To” and “Amazing Grace.” The vocalist made both her own with long-lined phrasing coming in from above, round-edged scat, and the shimmering sound of a voice evidently honed in church. A third number was less successful. Minimal jazz, and for the second, gospel-tinted accompaniment was provided by John M. Cook.
Sanges then turned the stage over to this year’s MetroStar winner, Minda Larsen, accompanied by M.D./pianist Barry Levitt, Tom Hubbard on bass, and Peter Grant on drums.
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Her show, My Southern Song, featured material describing the area in which she was raised and/or written by southerners. These included such as “That’s What I Like About the South,” “Georgia,” “Jolene” and “Stand By Your Man.” Alas, the performer didn’t share thoughtful personal stories. Songs were introduced with a few sketchy, often cliché references.
A show filled with 11 o’clock numbers feels unrelenting. Again and again, I found myself writing, “Please keep it here, don’t snowball.” This choice was compounded by extremely similar, formulaic arrangements and tempos as well as performances in the same key. Iconic blues numbers had neither individual personality nor depth.
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Larsen also exhibits a small number of rotating gestures which distract rather than enhance, as if she were unaware of the lyric they were meant to illuminate.
There were two exceptions: Bill Withers’ “Grandma’s Hands” floated in on a tapped drum and rhythmic bass, which is where it should have stayed. At least here, before the song swelled, we gleaned an inkling of real feeling and heard a bit of nuanced vocal. “The Boy Next Door” (Hugh Martin) reflecting, but not overwhelmed by Larsen’s opera training, was sweet and low key.
Minda Larsen is an attractive young woman with the raw goods, but no personal stamp and, at this point, inexperienced judgment.
