Linda Eder
Feinstein’s/54 Below, NYC, May 11, 2018
Reviewed by Randolph B. Eigenbrode for Cabaret Scenes
45 minutes into Linda Eder’s concert, that familiar intro began. Her crowd, filled with devotees, treated the refrain to a round of applause. She gently introduced that signature voice, seemingly frozen in time since she famously sang on the concept album of Jekyll & Hyde.
“I peer through windows, watch life go by.”
Indeed, Eder’s voice is still as warm, still as radiant as ever. Her build on “Someone Like You” (Frank Wildhorn/Leslie Bricusse/Steve Cuden) was a masterclass in vocal technique (aside from her idiosyncratic tilted neck on the higher belted notes) and she soared. She followed with fan favorites.
“Bring on the Men” (Wildhorn/Bricusse/Cuden) turned into a clap- (and sing-) along. Then there was the push-and-pull of “Charade” (Henry Mancini/Johnny Mercer). And finally, she landed with the rich “Vienna” (Wildhorn).
The latter, an anthemic opus, plays to Eder’s strengths: vocal virtuosity combined with an impressionistic acting style. And perhaps these strengths are what didn’t seem to serve the first two-thirds of the program. Pushing her new album, If You See Me, she filled that portion with Broadway and Songbook standards.
Of course, there’s no denying what these songs sounded like. Eder has always been tops when it comes to aural aesthetic. But material like “Smile” (Charlie Chaplin/John Turner/Geoffrey Parsons) and “They Can’t Take That Away from Me” (George and Ira Gershwin) endures less because of the vocal quality of its interpreters and more in the depth of their interpretations.
And Eder robbed a piece like “By Myself” (Arthur Schwartz/Howard Dietz), filled with nuance of lyric and a ping-pong match of emotions, of anything more than an overly simple attack or, worse yet, a frozen gaze. Yes, she built the song to a torchy climax, but even that lost its impact with no journey leading up to it.
Surprisingly, she succeeded with Sondheim’s “Losing My Mind,” allowing just a tinge of vulnerability. She navigated the emotionally charged song with a breezy honesty. She was visibly moved, aided by MD Billy Stein’s spare front end, but she soldiered on—even sounding like a pro while doing it.
With a career that’s included Star Search, albums, Broadway, and symphonies, Eder more than delivers with laser-like pitch and luscious tonal quality. But, with the same long career, one would conversely think she’d be adept at realizing a song’s emotional content and delivering it with the same flair. Unfortunately, she still has some work to do in that department.
