Sandy Jordan, Larry Luger, Bob Arkin
La Rivista/Broadway Joe’s, NYC, November 26, 2017
Reviewed by Ron Forman for Cabaret Scenes
If you are walking down Restaurant Row in Manhattan and are looking for a casual place to dine that provides excellent musical entertainment with no cover charge, La Rivista/Broadway Joe’s is the perfect place to visit. There is entertainment every night.
I dropped in on a Tuesday night when Sandy Jordan was doing the vocals with two great jazzmen, Larry Luger on guitar and Bob Arkin on bass, backing her. Jordan is a veteran cabaret performer whose repertoire includes everything from jazz to opera. The menu is moderately priced and features prix-fixed dinners and à la carte entries that include Italian specialties, steaks and chops.
When I arrived at 7:30 Luger and Arkin were performing. Some of their numbers were “I Can’t Get Started,” “You and the Night and the Music,” and a very beautiful “Theme from Samson and Delilah” by Victor Young. Both men can also swing, as evidenced in their performance of “Exactly Like You.
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Jordan began her set at 8 PM with “You and the Night and the Music,” followed by a warm “It Could Happen to You.” She is the prototypical jazz singer, bringing her own interpretation to every number she performed. She was especially effective with the Latin “Sway” and a romantic “Moon River.” She closed the set with “Night and Day.”
On Monday nights, Bill Zeffiro and Marissa Mulder perform; Zeffiro returns on Wednesdays with Jenna Esposito. Sandy Jordan is back on Thursdays, and on Fridays and Saturday, Bill Munro provides the music.
