Eddie Skuller: Sad Songs to Make You Happy

With Sad Songs to Make You Happy, Eddie Skuller promises to take his listeners to emotional heights and moody depths. Accompanied by the stark and soulful playing of pianist Ethan Herr, whose rich textures create a cinema of sound for Skuller to star in, optimism is found in the unexpected upbeat treatment of Depression-era laments like “Brother Can You Spare a Dime” while old-school pop hits like “Smile” are slowed to see into the uncertainties of love and hope. Other songs, from the mournful “Lilac Wine” to the joyous “Tupelo Honey,” are as sad or happy as you’d think – but performed with a passion and originality that’s seldom heard.

Eddie Skuller performs yearly at the legendary jazz club Odette’s, and recently appeared at Lincoln Center’s American Songbook Series, a tribute to quintessential pop composer Burt Bacharach.