Daniel Breaker
Joe’s Public, NYC, September 30, 2018
Reviewed by Chris Struck for Cabaret Scenes
Waltzing into Joe’s Pub and brushing off his lapels to present a classy evening of worldly music with a dash of bravado was Daniel Breaker. A consummate showman, who adds a pinch of storytelling, the suave and confident Breaker took to subtly battling stereotypes while showcasing the incredible talents of his band.
Not enough can be said to praise a man who seemed to spin around and burst out a line dripping with a new sentiment. The freshness of his vocals helped breathe modernity into soul-filled blues, placing them smoothly amid hip pop, musical theater, and jazz.
Breaker kicked off the night with “He’s the Wizard” (Charlie Smalls), displayed ipressive vocal diversity in “Kickin’ the Gong Around” (Ted Koehler/Harold Arlen), and then offered startlingly powerful medleys, highlighted by a “Work Song Medley,” which featured “Chain Gang” (Sam Cooke/Charles Cook, Jr.) among others. This medley might have been the most emphatic of Breaker’s choices, as he often remarked on or included the metaphor of breaking chains within his show, put into full view as he pounded the air and belted that he’d be breaking the chains, too. The beauty of his voice and the empathy he showed in performing his songs reached a climax in his final number, “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child” (traditional spiritual) when the tears began to stream down his face.
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Condola Rashad joined Breaker for a medley of love-chasing and forgiveness, and Jacob Ming-Trent, dressed in a joker shirt and suit jacket, showed his strong vocal ability in an outstanding solo on “Try a Little Tenderness” (Jimmy Campbell/Reg Connelly/Harry M. Woods). Also on stage, but out of the spotlight, was the band including Erik Dodenhoff (piano), Jon Spurney (guitar), Diallo House (bass), Christian Cassan (drums), Gary Fritz (numerous types of percussion), Sean Nowell (saxophone), and Eli Asher (trumpet). This band put on one of the most stunning performances of jazz-flavored instrumentals, including a solo by Fritz that seemed to capture the essence of rain and thunder.
One can expect great things from the dynamic Daniel Breaker and his co-performers.
