Cabaret Review by Ron Fassler . . .
This past spring, song stylist Ann Kittredge released an album titled “Romantic Notions,” her musings on the theme of love covering more than a dozen popular hits. The range of her choices span a century of composers, from Victor Herbert’s “Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life” (1910) to 2008’s “I Just Wanted You to Know,” by Steven Lutvak. With the aid of cabaret stalwart Barry Kleinbort as director, the show has been crafted to allow Kittredge to exhibit her deeply emotional takes on music that mean something to her.
In the luscious setting at Chelsea Table + Stage, Kittredge, backed by a quintet of expert musicians, the songs filled the room with lucious sound. Led by musical director Christopher Denny on piano, there were solos to highlight each member’s sweet spots from Rex Benincasa on drums and percussion, Sean Harkness on guitars, Aaron Heick on reed instruments, and Tom Hubbard on bass. Kittredge was sure to acknowledge them whenever she got the chance.
Performing eleven of the twelve songs on the “Romantic Notions” album, the added ones were delights. One, Johnny Mercer and Harold Arlen’s “Accentuate the Positive,” had some added lyrics from Kleinbort that spiced things up a bit and the other was Burt Bacharach and Hal David’s “What the World Needs Now.” This one was a beautiful slowed-down version that Kittredge offered almost as a benediction. It was stunning. I also greatly enjoyed her version of “Where’ve You Been,” a Donald H. Henry and Jonathan B. Vezner composition I’m not familiar with. Perhaps most surprising of all was her take on Bob Dylan’s classic “Mr. Tambourine Man.” She made it sound fresh and exciting, not an easy thing to do with a song that will celebrate its 60th anniversary next year.
Though boasting a lovely stage presence and skilled musicianship, Kittredge is primarily a story teller, as all great singers are. She is open, relaxed and brings a great deal of herself to the proceedings. For that reason, she offers lessons in acting for singers that other denizens of the cabaret world would be wise to emulate. She reached her apotheosis with her final song of the night, the aforementioned “Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life.” If you know it from its operatic source, or as recorded by Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy, or even from Young Frankenstein, where Madeline Kahn trills it at the height of ecstasy, the beautiful guitar arrangement she performed as an encore along with Sean Harkness’s exquisite accompaniment, was simply great. You wouldn’t have recognized it as anything that old and dusty, that’s for sure. Truly inspirational and a perfect way to end the evening (it’s included on her “Reimagine” album, released in 2022). Check it out—and check in with Ann Kittredge the next time she swings through town.
Ann Kittredge appeared at Chelsea Table + Stage, 152 W. 26th Street, NYC. For further information on future programming, please visit https://www.chelseatableandstage.com.
For more on Ann Kittredge, her website is https://www.annkittredge.com.
Photos by Ron Fassler.
