Max von Essen
Call Me Old Fashioned: The Broadway Standard
Birdland, NYC, August 19, 2019
Reviewed by Candace Leeds for Cabaret Scenes
Photo: Pasha Kalachev
Max von Essen returned to Birdland with a delightful program of Broadway standards to celebrate the release of his debut album, Call Me Old Fashioned: The Broadway Standard. His fans were out in force, filling every seat, as von Essen presented many of the grand standards on his CD, including “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love” (Jimmy McHugh/Dorothy Fields), “Fly Me to the Moon” (Bart Howard), and “Show Me” (Frederick Lowe/Alan Jay Lerner).
Adding to his rich sound and vocal power was his partner on the piano, the talented Billy Stritch, who provided additional vocals on a number of songs, including “Isn’t It a Pity “ (George and Ira Gershwin) and “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love” (Jimmy McHugh/Dorothy Fields).
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The addition of Mairi Dorman-Phaneuf on the cello added a rich texture and drama to a number of songs. Von Essen’s presentation of “The Trolley Song” (Hugh Martin) combined with “Gotta Have Me Go with You” (Harold Arlen/Ira Gershwin) was a showstopper. Another highlight was his rendition of “Almost Like Being in Love,” (Loewe/Lerner), during which von Essen stepped away from the mic and allowed his bold and beautiful voice to fill the room.
He concluded the program with the splashy number he performed in the Broadway show, An American in Paris, “I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise” (the Gershwins).
