Betty Buckley and the Kenny Werner Trio at the Blue Note

Betty Buckley and the Kenny Werner Trio at the Blue Note.  The Blue Note Jazz Club is featuring a July 2007 Vocal Series, and I had an opportunity to see Betty Buckley sing there on July 17th.  She was backed up by some great musicians:Kenny Werner, pianist and musical director; Tony Marino, bass; and Anthony Pinciotti, drums.

The setting was different than the usual Jazz band – this was a cabaret show, and Broadway singer Buckley was able to capture the room with her big voice and gestures.  Even with the powerful sound system, she was able to develop an intimate atmosphere and make everyone feel as if they were in her living room.  Her set was a mixture of show tunes and pop music, arranged by the masterful Kenny Werner.

“Hello, Young Lovers,” by Rodgers and Hammerstein, was the opening number.  Buckley seemed at ease with her accompanists of 17 years – Werner and Marino have been with her since she started touring (Pinciotti was the newcomer), and she had a smile for the entire audience.

Kenny Werner did a beautiful arrangement of two selections from Oklahoma, combining “Many a New Day” and “Oh, What a Beautiful Morning.”  The first part of the score (“Many a New Day”) was done in a modal feel, with a hip jazzy swing, allowing the pianist and bassist to really get into the groove.  After a really great bass solo, the drummer set up the second part (“Oh, What a Beautiful Morning”) with a Latin 6/8, while Betty sang the verse with just the drums.  This was effective, because it set up a crescendo to the well-known refrain, and members of the audience stood up to applaud.

Buckley sang a diverse group of songs, from her favorite composers Sergio Mendez, James Taylor, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Joni Mitchell.  On Michel Legrand’s “What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life,” Werner played a gorgeous introduction on the piano, with a somewhat classical feel, and Buckley sang with the softer part of her voice.  The actress told us a story through song by segueing to “The Summer Knows,” after an instrumental interlude.

“Angel Eyes” had Buckley leaning on the piano during the “orchestrated, rather than bluesy” arrangement of the well-known standard.  Bob Dylan’s “The Times they are A’Changing,” was much more harmonically sophisticated than the original, but still kept the folk song elements.

“Throw It Away” and “It Might as Well Be Spring,” were the best songs of the set.  The former tune, Abbey Lincoln’s poignant composition, was filled with expression and sensitivity with the pianist.  The latter had a comfortable Latin tempo, very upbeat.

The closing tune of the set, Brenda Russell’s “Get Here” is on Buckley’s forthcoming CD, entitled Quintessence.  After performing in Cats, Triumph of Love and Sunset Boulevard on Broadway, it’s refreshing to hear her sing cabaret theater.  The next performers in Blue Note’s July Vocal Series, will be Grady Tate and Ann Hampton Callaway.  Stay tuned for more Jazz Notes for Cabaret Exchange.