Ann Hampton Callaway at the Blue Note

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Blue Note Jazz Club featured the very special singer-composer-actress Ann Hampton Callaway as part of their cabaret vocal series in July 2007. I caught her opening night on July 26, at the famed Greenwich Village nightclub. She was accompanied by the Ted Rosenthal Trio: Ted Rosenthal, piano, Jay Leonhardt, bass and Victor Lewis, drums.



After a warm-up band number of "If I Should Lose You," played in an easy swing, Ann came onstage dressed in a smart, sparkly black pantsuit. She opened with an original piece, “Swingin’ Away the Blues,” that was a scaled down big-band orchestration. I’m always amazed by the way a trio can sound like a big-band with the right arrangement. "Swinging Away the Blues" is on Ann’s recent CD, “Blues in the Night,” with Sherrie Maricle’s band “The Diva Jazz Orchestra” backing her up.

On "The Best Is Yet to Come," Ann showed off the diversity of her chops: range, phrasing, timbre.  She has great stage presence, and loves to carry on a dialogue with the audience. On that tune she had people snapping their fingers and singing along.

Ann Hampton Callaway was inspired by a number of Jazz vocalists, and is remarkably adept at imitating their voices. She began a medley, first impersonating Billie Holiday by singing a phrase of "God Bless the Child." Secondly, she told us that Sarah Vaughan is one of her biggest influences, and resembled “the Divine One” on a phrase of “Misty.”

This was followed by Ella Fitzgerald's complete version of "How High the Moon." Here, Callaway really expressed herself, with a fast bebop chorus of improvised lyrics, and a couple of scatted choruses in her upper soprano register, capturing a sound very similar to a trumpet or flute.

By contrast, the following tune, "Tenderly," used the opposite end of Ann's range. On this piece, a quiet ballad, her deep alto voice was again reminiscent of Sassy, especially her vibrato. Listening and balancing Ann's huge range with flourishes and interesting chord changes, was Ted Rosenthal at the piano.

Providing good musical direction, and a vast array of tricks, he played nice lines, rich big chords and, all in all, was a great accompanist. Jay Leonhardt played a solid swing beat on the bass, and when it was his turn to solo, grabbed the bow and sang along with his melodic lines.  Victor Lewis played tastefully in the background, providing fills when needed, and controlled the dynamics of the group.

At the end of the set, for a special treat, Ann sat down at the piano and played her own composition, “I’ve Dreamed of You.”  This tune showed yet another influence – this time Joni Mitchell. Ann Hampton Callaway has a large repertoire in many different styles, and it was a pleasure to listen to her.