Billy Stritch
All for You
Feinstein’s at the Nikko, San Francisco, CA, October 9, 2025
Reviewed by Steve Murray
Photo by Bill Westmoreland
Billy Stritch made his Feinstein’s at the Nikko solo debut an auspicious evening. He stepped onto center stage, commanded the Yamaha’s keys, and mesmerized his fans with a nearly two-hour set that included two dozen musical gems. For decades Stritch has been the go-to accompanist, confidant, and composer to the elite (Liza Minelli, Tony Bennett, Marilyn Maye, Linda Lavin, Linda Eder, Christine Ebersole, and Paulo Szot). He certainly knows how to fashion a set, thoughtfully weaving tempos, rhythms, and styles into a pleasing menu of some chestnuts, but mostly seldom-heard treasures.
A New Yorker by way of Sugarland, Texas, Stritch hit the Big Apple at the tail end of the golden age of the Great American Songbook and pulls material from the songs of Jimmy Webb, Cy Coleman, and Arthur Freed. He opened with a rousing mix of “Come Fly with Me” (Jimmy Van Heusen/Sammy Cahn) and “Up, Up and Away” (Jimmy Webb), Stritch segued into the lovely, optimistic “Lucky to Be Me” (Leonard Bernstein/Comden & Green). David Frishberg’s “Sweet Kentucky Ham” was introduced as a traveling musician’s song, and Stritch also covered Carole Bayer Sager and Peter Allen’s 1976 “Planes,” another traveling tune. Stritch’s original ballad, “Since You Left New York,” co-written with Sandy Knox, was their pandemic breakup song.
Stritch stays within his baritone range, and his piano work is exceptional. He’s a musical historian, chock full of backstories and an encyclopedic knowledge of songs. His nod to Cy Coleman with “Let Me Down Easy” (written with Richard Rodney Bennett) was a classy breakup song handled impeccably. A Singing in the Rain medley illustrated how songs culled from movies made 20 years earlier found their way into the 1952 film and was a crowd pleaser. A Mel Tormé tribute that celebrated his 100th birthday was a good fit for Stritch’s vocals. “Born to Be Blue” (Tormé/Robert Wells), “You’re Driving Me Crazy” (Walter Donaldson), “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” (Eric Maschwitz/Manning Sherwin), and “Mountain Greenery” (Rodgers & Hart) were heartfelt and beautifully arranged.
A highlight was his interpretation of “When the World Was Young” by Philippe-Gérard and Angèle Vanniet, with English lyrics by Johnny Mercer, as was his encore, a medley of “That Old Feeling” (Sammy Fain/Lew Brown) and “I Thought About You” (Van Heusen/ Mercer) from his 2020 CD Billy’s Place. Stritch is a natural performer, comfortable with his material and his banter. He mentioned that he usually sits stage right but prefers to be center stage. He certainly deserved that spot.
