Jazz in July

Singers and the Song

92^nd Street Y, NYC, July 20, 2024

Reviewed by Alix Cohen

Three generations of exceptional jazz vocalists, backed by the Aaron Diehl Trio, showcased their similarities and differences in this all-female program.

Recent Juilliard graduate 24-year-old Ekep Nkwelle, has already toured with jazz legends. Her polished stage presence belies her age. She has style, a gorgeous satin voice, a wide vocal range, and terrific control. To say she hears things we don’t would be putting it mildly. She reformatted songs to fit her own iconoclastic rhythms and emphasis. “Day In, Day Out” (Rube Bloom/Johnny Mercer) was buried under her interpretation.

“My Shining Hour” (Harold Arlen/Mercer) started a cappella with only percussive brushes like hummingbird wings, then broke into swing. The bass (Vicente Archer) and drums (Aaron Kimmel) held the line while the piano (Aaron Diehl) and the vocal went their own disparate ways. An almost unrecognizable “CC Rider” (traditional) followed. “Om gonna buy me a shotgun, long and tall” Nkwelle sang with a momentarily apologetic expression. Really? Out of thousands of songs? “In a Sentimental Mood” (Duke Ellington/Manny Kurtz) showcased the full effect of the unmistakable melody and her own talent. With her eyes closed, she nodded and shook her head. Her right arm extended as she exhaled, and her thumb and index fingers touched like dancers. Archer leaned to the right, mouthing notes a la Jay Leonhart. The song sighed with intention, emotion, and effect.

Grammy winner Catherine Russell was as authentic as they come. Her attention to the integrity of the song was equal to her warmth and the infectious pleasure she took in communicating. “How About You?” (Burton Lane/Ralph Freed) arrived as a midium-tempo, head-bobbing swing as she grabbed handfuls of air. Whenever a lyric veered out of sync with the band, it seamlessly slipped/slid back like a tease. A classy “The Brooklyn Bridge” (Sammy Cahn/Jule Styne) was filled with affection.

Russell’s observation that “Dance and music for me are married” prefaced two waltzy numbers: “Dance Only with Me” (Styne/Betty Comden and Adolph Green) was textured by Matt Munisteri’s guitar filigree. “The Best Things Happen While You’re Dancing” (Irving Berlin), in my opinion, was burdened by abrupt, emphatic piano chords that I found too harsh for the lyrics. Both songs were tinted with jazz, but some romantic sway remained. With a nod to Dinah Washington’s centennial, “Let Me Be the First to Know” (Pearl Woods/Leroy Kirkland) strolled, the personification of cool. Some have it, some don’t. Russell’s was both in her genes and her perception. She danced in place. She didn’t just sing, she made the verse sympathetic. “Puttin’ On the Ritz” was just fun. Her accentuation of selected words conjured tap. The bass thrummed and the percussion sticks hit wood.

The lights dimmed. The indomitable Marilyn Maye, lighthouse to generations of vocalists, offered successive medleys. Dozens of songs, some of the best accompanied only by piano, exemplified her less-is-more approach. Maye sang in real time. Her repertoire is so well known to her that she can subtly vary each iteration. She leaned out to fans, looked into faces, and she appreciatively turned to the musicians during duets.

“I Get a Kick Out of You” began with only a rhythmic bass. “It’s All Right with Me,” “It Was Just One of Those Things,” and a cha-cha-infused, “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” followed, telling a story. (All three by Cole Porter.) At the piano, Diehl breathed with Maye. She has been performing “Do Nothin’ Till You Hear from Me” (Ellington/Bob Russell) and the iconic “Satin Doll” (Ellington/Billy Strayhorn)—patting her thighs—for eight decades. “You’re too young to remember any of those” she told the front row, implicitly raising an eyebrow.

Then she flirted. “A lotta kisses on my bottom,” she sings (“I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a letter”; Joe Young/Fred E. Ahlert). A hand gesture or facial expression commented. There wasn’t not much scat singing tonight, but it was mastered as fluently as scales. “Angel Eyes” (Matt Dennis/Earl K. Brent) was lighted chiaroscuro. A bouncy “On the Street Where You Live” (Frederick Loewe/Alan Jay Lerner) wafted. “Oh, oh, over-powering feeling.”

The three ladies joined for “I Love Being Here with You” (Peggy Lee/Bill Schluger), each taking a verse. “I love to hear you call my name,” Maye sang. “MARILYN!” the audience called out.