Cecile McLorin Salvant at Catalina's Bar & Grill - 02.17.14

[Ron Thorne]

It was the most impressive Los Angeles debut for a jazz singer since Roberta Gambarini ten years ago. Cecile McLorin Salvant has been gaining publicity on the East Coast for a few years including winning the Thelonious Monk Vocal Competition in 2010 and releasing her first CD, Woman Child, which made many top ten lists last year (including mine). But that still did not really prepare one for her performance at the Catalina Bar & Grill.

First there is her voice. Ms. Salvant has a beautiful tone, perfect articulation, and sings every note in tune. Her lower register is as deep as Sarah Vaughan’s yet she can hit high notes worthy of an opera singer. Sliding between notes and hitting wide intervals seem like child’s play when she sings. Then there is her repertoire and her knowledge of jazz history. Unlike many other singers who seem unaware of vocalists before Ella and Sarah Vaughan, Ms. Salvant is very familiar with the music’s entire history. Unlike too many others, she does not waste time performing lame Joni Mitchell songs, pop/r&b, unworthy recent tunes or Beatles songs, knowing that there is much better material to discover and explore. She has the ability to take a standard and make it sound brand new, or make an obscurity sound like it should be a standard. She makes every note and sound count (her use of silence is often quite dramatic), is very aware of the meaning behind the lyrics that she interprets, and always sounds as if she is having a great time on stage.

At Catalina’s, Cecile McLorin Salvant was joined by pianist Ehud Asherie, bassist Paul Sikivie and drummer Pete Van Nostrand, performing before a packed house on a Monday night. She started off with a haunting version of “I Only Have Eyes For You” that found her fading out while repeating the word “disappear.” She performed a heartfelt and occasionally humorous version of Bert Williams’ 1905 hit “Nobody” and revived 1928’s “Laugh Clown Laugh” in a swinging rendition that at times recalled Abbey Lincoln. Her rendition of “There’s A Lull In My Life” was soft and quietly emotional while on “If This Isn’t Love,” she not only made mincemeat of the wide intervals but showed that she could swing while singing out of time, not an easy feat! Her lower register on her modal piece “Woman Child” was quite impressive.

The rhythm section displayed versatility throughout the night with Ehud Asherie taking many outstanding piano solos that ranged from stride and blues to bop and modern jazz. He sounded quite at home sounding like James P. Johnson on a duet version of Bessie Smith’s “You’ve Got To Give Me Some,” an often-hilarious risqué blues that Cecile McLorin Salvant clearly enjoyed singing. The verse of “I Get A Kick Out Of You” was taken very slow before the chorus was played at a rapid pace. “So In Love” was given a dreamy treatment with some happily eccentric bending of notes.

The folk song “John Henry” was given as powerful a treatment as its subject, with the singer concluding the song a capella and without a microphone. “What A Little Moonlight Can Do” was practically turned into a suite with sound explorations, changes of tempos and moods, and Ms. Salvant really showing what a little moonlight could do. It has been nearly 80 years since Billie Holiday saved that tune from obscurity yet there has never been a version like this one. The remarkable set ended with an encore version of “Yesterdays.”

As with the very best jazz musicians, Cecile McLorin Salvant, who is just 24, kept the audience excited throughout the night as we waited with great expectation to see what she was going to do next. She makes one very optimistic about the future of jazz.

- Scott Yanow

[ValerieB]

you speak the truth, Scott!!! weren't we lucky to be there!