Goldie Dver
Bridges
Don’t Tell Mama, NYC, June 12, 2023
Reviewed by Bart Greenberg
Goldie Dver
Photo: Conor Weiss
Goldie Dver took the stage at Don’t Tell Mama and she really TOOK the stage; she was chic, dynamic, sexy, and intelligent. She established herself right away by blending two very different songs—“What About Today?
” and “Easy to Be Hard”—and transforming them into one showstopper. The audience knew they had someone very smart and surprising in charge. Perhaps less surprising but wittily swinging and propulsive was the combination of “My Personal Property” and “Sunday in New York.” The number also showcased solos by her sax player Marc Dane, who unexpectedly doubled on guitar, and drummer Chip M. Farizi, who provided great support throughout the evening, as did bassist John Miller. All of them were under the music direction of her extremely versatile pianist, Michael Roberts.
The song list for the evening was highly varied and contained some delightful surprises along the way.
She seemed to be easing her way into “The Ladies Who Lunch” only to reverse directions and switch to a delightful “I’m Glad I’m Not Young Anymore” complete with additional personal lyrics by Roberts. He was also responsible (music and lyrics) for a very moving original song, “This Is Mine”; the singer informed the audience that this was very much her personal credo. She delivered it with a commitment that convinced us that it was. Another medley smoothly moved from the light-hearted “L-O-V-E” to the high-spirited “All You Need Is Love” to the passionate “Imagine.” This combination had a natural flow that enhanced the final song to great dramatic effect.
It was also fun to hear the really obscure “I Said No,” a World War II gem that Dver did a sly, clever job with, transforming it into a showstopper. Another gem was “The Rules of the Road,” which really swung, especially when set against the band; “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66.” For another shift, guest vocalist Tanya Moberly took the stage to deliver an up-tempo, powerful version of Carole King’s “Beautiful,” after which the two women duetted on “Bridge of Light” (P!nk/Billy Mann). The performance was special for the way the two artists seemed to be listening to each other. The entire evening was directed by James Beaman with the lightest of touches, but it was Dver who truly gave it sparkle with her wise and slightly wicked touch.
