David Marino
An Intimate Evening with David Marino
Pangea, NYC, February 12, 2025
Reviewed by Bart Greenberg
David Marino appeared at Pangea looking like the cutest guy in high school. Then he began to sing and proved what an old soul he truly was. Under the direction of Andy Gale there wasn’t a moment where the 20-something singer wasn’t in total charge, and yet nothing seemed calculated or over-rehearsed. He seemed to truly enjoy flirting with the women in the audience (and they enjoyed it too) without it ever becoming inappropriate. His choice of material—mostly songs written long before he was born—seemed personal and emotionally connected. Even his sometimes awkward patter charmed and seemed totally natural.
Some of his influences were apparent in individual numbers. “’S Wonderful” (George & Ira Gershwin) was delivered as a ballad with echoes of Tony Bennett, and “Exactly Like You” (Jimmy McHugh/Dorothy Fields) had a joyful scat verse reminiscent of Mel Tormé. (Music director John di Martino’s arrangements included quotes from “Take the A Train” (Billy Strayhorn) also recalled Tormé.) But a sultry “I Got Lost in His Arms” (Irving Berlin) and a sincere “Where Is Love?” (Lionel Bart)—absent any irony—were pure Marino.
Marino grew up in Montreal in an Italian family. He displayed his ability to deliver emotion in both French (he referred to it as colloquial “Hillbilly French”) and Italian. “Caruso” (Lucio Dalla) was a touching tribute to his beloved grandparents and “For Me Formidable” (Charles Aznavour) was a highly romantic moment. One of the emotional highlights of the evening was the blending of two songs in two languages: “You’re Nearer” (Richard Rodgers/Lorenz Hart) and “Les Parapluies de Cherbourg” (Michel Legrand/Jacques Demy). It was pure cabaret magic. In addition to di Martino, bassist Yoshi Waki provided fine musical support throughout. But it was Marino who brought the magic to the stage; he is an artist worth following.
