Peter and Will Anderson

The Anderson Twins Play Richard Rodgers

Birdland Theater, NYC, March 7, 2022

Reviewed by Ron Forman

The latest in Peter and Will Anderson’s musical tribute series focused on the songwriting composer who Will called the most-often-played composer in musical history—Richard Rodgers. The Anderson Twins are virtuosos on both clarinet and saxophone, and they were backed by three marvelous musicians: Dalton Ridenhour (piano), Clovis Nicholas (bass), and Alex Raderman (drums). The vocals were provided by one of today’s best jazz singers, Molly Ryan, whose smile lights up a room and whose unique sound and phrasing make each number she performed her personal property. Will nicely tied this tribute together with stories and anecdotes that accompanied each song. His dry sense of humor often produced bursts of laughter.

Every member of the Anderson Quintet had an opportunity for a solo turn in the opening number, a jazzy arrangement of “My Favorite Things.” It was followed by “Where or When,” which also featured applause-producing solos by each musician. Rodgers was known for wanting his songs to be performed only the way he wrote them. Will told how the doo-wop group The Marcels had a number-one hit with a Rodgers song, prompting the composer to take out newspaper ads telling people not to buy the record. That song was “Blue Moon” (lyric by Lorenz Hart), and Ryan performed her unique version ; it might have displeased Rodgers, but which I thought it was wonderful. She followed that with a very nice vocal on “Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered” (lyric also with Hart), which included a flute solo by Will.

After mentioning how much Antonio Carlos Jobim enjoyed the music of Rodgers, the group offered the Oscar-winning “It Might as Well Be Spring” (lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein) with a bossa nova beat. Ryan’s facial expressions, as is usual in her perormances, added to our enjoyment of the number. The quintet started “Lover” as the waltz Rodgers intended it to be, but then midway through they transformed it into a swing number. Only Peter and Ridenhour were left on the stage for a slow and haunting “My Funny Valentine.” Will reminded us that Rodgers’ melodies were often used by jazz artists and then evoked John Coltrane on saxophone, joining with Ridenhour for “Isn’t It Romantic.” Alone on stage Ridenhour dazzled with his performance of “You Took Advantage of Me.” The ensemble closed this very entertaining show with a really swinging “The Lady Is a Tramp.”