Abigail Rockwell

While many singers include torch singing in their repertoires, few make it a speciality like Abigail Rockwell. Rockwell’s breathy, smoky voice, and sultry demeanor are reminiscent of Julie London. Autumn Noir: Echoes of Jazz offers an engaging, compelling, and innovative experience. It is a beautifully crafted show. Rockwell brings poetry to the table of torch: her inter-song musings, lyric writing and passionate mood reflects her intellect. Rockwell introduces “Summer Erotic”, Rockwell/Gary Versace’s original composition, as a “novena” to New York. She is passionate about noir. This role is a part of her life, and she embodies it. Rockwell’s jazzy opening song “Let’s Get Lost” by Jimmy McHugh/Frank Loesser reveals her unique charm. Sometimes, a warm, beautiful smile peeks through. Scorchers like “Slow Burn” (Rockwell/Bill Brendle), and “Lane Closed…Do Not Follow” would have been better served by an underpinning that adds lightness to help shade and elevate the darker moods. The slower pieces were counterbalanced by upbeat music, which was complemented by creative jazz arrangements that wondrously placed them at torch edge. Many standards were delightful, including a modern arrangement “Miss Brown to You”, (Richard Whiting/Ralph Rainger/Leo Robin), and “Let There Be Love”, (Lionel Rand/Leo Grant), both classics of Bobby Short, who would undoubtedly approve of such freshness. Astor Piazzolla’s “Libertango”, with Rockwell’s lyrics, and a medley of Elvis Costello’s “Almost Blue”/”The Thrill Is Gone (Lew Brown/Ray Henderson were two other highlights of Autumn Noir. Three top-quality jazz musicians, including Brian Fishler on drums and Michael O’Brien on bass, supported Rockwell’s focused and responsive playing. Gary Versace, music director and pianist, proved to be an excellent musician and was somehow connected to Rockwell. Versace’s best moment was his accordion playing on “Libertango”, minus the traditional bandoneon. from http://cabaretscenes.org

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