Ronny Whyte

Gershwin & Friends

Pangea, NYC, March 29, 2023

Reviewed by Geoff Stoner

My hat’s off to anyone who can sit behind a piano and sing 18 songs (each with a verse and several choruses). When that person is Ronny Whyte, unruffled and clad in a dapper jacket and pointed pocket square, we suspect we’re in for a treat. Whyte, however, is much more than his outfits and his “living above the fray” persona. He is an encyclopedia of music and a crackerjack at lyric delivery. History is in the room.

At Pangea, Whyte started out commandingly with “Rialto Ripples” (1917, George Gershwin). It was delightful to hear the ragtime feel to it (we could be listening to a Harold Lloyd film soundtrack). Whyte’s playing went a bit off the rails, but then got back on. No matter. He threw up his hands at the end of the piece, smiled coyly and said, “that wasn’t me, it was a piano roll.” He is a master of regaining his balance after a minor gaffe with music or a lyric; his rejoinders to minor mishaps were surprisingly entertaining. 

Whyte explained his show’s title Gershwin and Friends. George Gershwin was a generous mentor to many people and that was what the evening was going to be about. We learned that George persuaded an acquaintance (and also a composer) named Vladimir Dukelsky to change his name to Vernon Duke and to write show tunes. In addition to Duke, we met friends Oscar Levant, Dorothy Fields, Ted Fetter (Cole Porter’s cousin), John Latouche, Kay Swift, and Paul James (aka James Paul “Jimmy” Warburg). That’s not a bad group of friends for a man of his remarkable accomplishments who died at age 39.

The first part of the show was devoted to the songs of George Gershwin with lyrics by his brother Ira Gershwin: “Nice Work If You Can Get It,” “Changing My Tune,” “Love Is Here to Stay,” and “My Cousin in Milwaukee.” It was delightful to hear the verses to these songs along with Whyte’s vocal improvisation and adept phrasing.

“I Can’t Get Started” (music by Duke and lyrics by Ira Gershwin) followed. Whyte placed the verse, normally sung at the top, in the middle of his rendition, to great effect. He launched into “Taking a Chance on Love,” (music by Duke, lyrics by Fetter and Latouche), and followed with “Autumn in New York” (music and lyrics by Duke). He was also beautifully effective as he sang the sumptuous verse of “Autumn in New York”; he was spare and conversational (and confessional) as he told us about the city he hates and adores.

Next up was a “nasty” song for Ethel Waters from “Cabin in The Sky” (Duke/Latouche) entitled “Leave Me Alone Today.” That song was followed by a “nicer” song that basically said the same thing with the same sentiment, “Don’t Mention Romance to Me” (Levant/Fields). Following that Whyte sang “Blame It on My Youth” (Levant/Heyman) and mentioned (lest we think he was too advanced in age to sing it) that his friend Mabel Mercer sang it until she was 80 and she got away with it by saying “my songs are about you, not me!”

Swift and James were represented by “Fine and Dandy” and “Can’t We Be Friends?”; “Sawing a Woman in Half,” (Swift, lyrics by Al Silverman) ended the section. Whyte felt the need to follow that song with a politically correct apology that he delivered wryly ; it struck the right tone, given the time the song was written. He wrapped up his show with three George and Ira songs: “Soon” (in a bossa nova version), “How Long Has This Been Going On,” and “Fascinating Rhythm.” I was surprised when he took a bow; it seemed we’d just started!

He encored with the Gershwins’ “A Little Jazz Bird.” He politely refused calls for a second encore and walked to the back of the room where, we were told, he would be mingling with the audience for the next half hour. The evening was delightful, entertaining, and enlightening. The only misstep occurred when he told two off-color jokes before he sand his encore. He is far too debonair for blue humor!  

As he walked off stage to the back of the room at Pangea, I heard him ask for a “perfect Manhattan with a cherry.” That topped off the evening beautifully; it had gorgeous music, witty and delightful lyrics, and fun personal stories, all followed by conversation over cocktails. Cheers!