Brian De Lorenzo
April 22, 2026
By BetsyAnn Faiella
Brian De Lorenzo has release the second volume of his Toast of the Town album. Our BetsyAnn Faiella talked with him about his new endeavor.
BetsyAnn As you, know, I was one of the reviewers who LOVED Volume 1! Did you already know when you recorded it what was going to be on Volume 2?
Brian Thanks, BetsyAnn! Initially, I was planning to do a single album. I had 18 songs I wanted to record and after the recording sessions, I would take the best 16 and put them on the album. But as I began thinking about the process and the cost of recording with a 16-piece band I thought, “if Tom LaMark can arrange only four more songs for me, I could record 22 tracks at one time and split them into two albums.” That also made sense because most of the songs come from the early era of the LP when most albums had 11 tracks. After we recorded all the songs, I decided which ones I wanted on each volume. Then we mixed Volume 1 and waited until we had a release date for Volume 2 before mixing those tracks. Maybe someday we’ll issue a double LP!
BetsyAnn What draws you to a song first, music or lyrics?
Brian It can vary. Many years ago when I was working as a staff entertainer on the m.s. Westerdam in Alaska for four months, on a few Thursday afternoons in Vancouver, between sailings, I would spend a few hours in an old music store looking through all—and I mean ALL—of the show music songbooks and all of the sheet music, looking for songs that I could sing in concerts, at open mics, or for auditions. I would read the lyrics first to see if they were a good fit for me. If they were, then I would sight-read the songs (quietly to myself). If the music also seemed to be a good fit, I would buy the sheet music, or the piano vocal selections of the musical. My favorite “find” in Vancouver was the vocal selections from the musical Angel with lyrics by Peter Udell and music by Gary Geld. I’ve recorded three songs from that show. I later discovered Geld & Udell had written one of my favorite songs by the Carpenters, “Hurting Each Other.”
Other times, I’ll hear a song that has music that really moves me and I’ll take a closer look to see if I also like the lyric. If the lyric doesn’t feel right for me, or if I have a problem with the writing of particular phrases, then I’m unlikely to add the song to my repertoire. Things can become complicated when choosing to do a cabaret show in tribute to a songwriter or (especially) to a singer. Some of their most famous songs, including a few the audiences really want to hear, might not be my cup of tea, so I’ll try to steer clear of them, if possible.
BetsyAnn What is your favorite song on Volume 1 and on Volume 2 and why?
Brian Ooh, that really is difficult. For Volume 1, I won’t say it’s my favorite, because I love singing all of them, but I’d like to highlight Marty Panzer and Barry Manilow’s “I Was a Fool to Let You Go.” It was written in 1978 but it fits perfectly with the standards of the ’30s, ’40s, and ’50s. For Volume 2, I think I’d lean toward “Blues in the Night.” It has such great imagery and emotion.
BetsyAnn How much do you collaborate on the arrangements? Who comes up with the first idea, you or Tom?
Brian Mostly, I come up with the general idea and then Tom figures out the execution including, of course, the instrumentation. Sometimes I’ll send Tom a recording and say, “I really like this arrangement” and he’ll come up with an arrangement that’s similar, but not a copy.
When it comes to song pairings and medleys, Tom figures out the transitions from one song to the next. For instance, I said to Tom, “I want to pair ‘Autumn Leaves’ with ‘Autumn in Rome’” (which is on Vol. 1). Since “Rome” is in 3/4 time, it made more sense to do “Leaves” in 3/4 time, even though it’s written in 4/4 time. I also said I wanted to return to ‘Autumn Leaves’ at the end. Tom came up with the transition from the first to the second and back.
Speaking of “Blues in the Night” (Vol. 2) I wanted to make the arrangement my own. I have a recording by the song’s lyricist Johnny Mercer where he sings an ending that’s completely different from the sheet music, which most singers use. I chose to do Mercer’s ending. I also thought the song could accommodate some meter changes, so when I repeat the second verse, I switch back and forth between 3/4 and 4/4 time. It adds something unexpected and exciting.
BetsyAnn What song are you dying to record that you don’t think fits with your image?
Brian I think I’m known for performing standards, contemporary cabaret, and musical theater, but I really like a lot of pop music from the’70s, ’80s, and ’90s. I’ve recorded only one pop song (on my I Know More Now album), Diane Warren’s “I Could Not Ask for More.” Another Diane Warren song I’d like to record is “Look Away,” which was a hit for the band Chicago back in the ’80s. I’m thinking about creating a cabaret show with songs from that period, which may eventually end up on a recording.
BetsyAnn What are your 10 desert island discs?
Brian This somewhat eclectic list is subject to change, depending on when I’m deserted on that island:
- Nancy LaMott: Listen to My Heart (could I take ALL of her albums, please?)
- Mahler 2nd Symphony: Otto Klemperer and the Philharmonia Orchestra
- Dance Music of the High Renaissance
- Ella Fitzgerald: The Jerome Kern Songbook
- John Farnham: Whispering Jack
- John Gary’s Greatest Hits
- Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis: Neville Mariner and The Academy of St Martin in the Fields
- Elena Bennett & Fred Barton: A Wrinkle in Swingtime
- Ragtime OBC
- Ricky Martin: Vuelve
BetsyAnn What’s next?
Brian Because I love choral singing, I’ll be in the chorus for a performance of Beethoven’s 9th Symphony on Boston’s North Shore at the end of May. I’m also a staff singer at an Episcopal church in the Boston area. In June I’ll perform twice at CabaretFest Provincetown, where I’ve appeared numerous times since its founding by John O’Neil in 2000. It’s always fun to be part of the festival in such a beautiful and charming a location. Also in June, my husband and I will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary – and 35 years together.
I’m excited to perform at the 37th Mabel Mercer Foundation Cabaret Convention in New York on October 15. The evening, which closes the Convention, is hosted by the Foundation’s artistic director KT Sullivan and is entitled With a Song in My Heart. On October 24, I’m teaming up with friends John Abernathy and Robert Saoud for The Ladies Who Brunch: Men’s Edition at Club Café’s Napoleon Room, hosted by John O’Neil.
And finally, my friend Linda Mironti and I are in the very early stages of planning a duo cabaret show. Linda was nominated this year for the Female Vocalist MAC Award. She and I have done several musical revues together over the years and we decided it’s time to do a true cabaret show. We don’t’ have any dates set, but I know we’ll have a lot of fun in the process of creating the show!
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