Exotic at Any Age: Ute Lemper and Keely Smith
The Siegels fall under the exotic spell of Ute Lemper at Joe's Pub and Keely Smith at Feinstein's at the Regency.
It's difficult for an artist with a very specific appeal to grow and change while bringing his or her audience along for the ride. That's Lemper's dilemma. She's famous here in America for singing German Kabarett and for specializing in the music of Kurt Weill. Over the last several years, however, she has veered into her own unique version of rock music, taking contemporary songs by the likes of Tom Waits and lending them a Weimar-esque spin. At the same time, she has been reinventing German songs of the '20s and '30s by giving them a rock overlay. Sometimes, it works; sometimes, the result is a loud, muddy mess.
The reason that audiences (and these critics) remain enthralled by Lemper is her very presence. Besides her stunning beauty, there is her stunning talent; it would seem as if she could sing anything and sing it superbly. Some musical styles, however, have an appeal that is far from universal. It's a tribute both to Lemper's uncommon gifts and the devotion of her fans that they'll take whatever she chooses to offer.
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(Photo: Skip Bolen Studio)
The show is called Swing, Swing, Swing--and, folks, it's definitely a case of truth in advertising. Keely's bang-up band is led by her son-in-law, pianist Dennis Michaels, a man so talented that he makes nepotism seem a virtue. Jerry Vivino, the featured sax player, turns strong arrangements into barnburners. The band carries Keely through some tunes--for example, "Jump, Jive an' Wail" (a Prima composition), which is full of style and bravado. At other times, though, Keely commands the stage, especially when singing songs like "Magic" (Jule Styne-Sammy Cahn). She treats the first verse as a ballad and breaks your heart; then she starts swinging in the second verse and gives an entirely different but equally satisfying dimension to the number. Even more impressive, she sounds much the same singing it now as she did in the 1950s, when she first turned it into a hit.
The show is intended, in part, as a tribute to the late Louis Prima, so it's ironic that the selections actually written by Prima don't entirely hold up. But, as a singer, Mr. P. had lots of hits with songs that were written by others, and they continue to appeal. Consider "Just a Gigolo" (Leonello Casucci/Irving Caeser), which Keely sings with pride. She also warmly renders two of her own signature songs, "I Wish You Love" (Claude Trenet/Albert Beach) and "That Old Black Magic" (Harold Arlen/Johnny Mercer).