By Andrew Poretz . . . .
Ella Mae Dixon is a 21-year-old jazz vocalist and cabaret singer based in New York City. She first came to this writer’s attention at age 18, when she appeared in The Lineup With Susie Mosher at Birdland Theater. The pert blonde made quite a splash; it’s impossible to forget when someone that young displays a mastery of Great American Songbook material.
Dixon made her debut at 54 Below with a well-crafted show featuring a wealth of excellent, diverse songs that show her range as a singer and performer. She has a good voice, with excellent phrasing, an expressive face and eyes that are captivating, and a confident stage presence.
Pianist/music director Matt Baker, bassist Tony DePaolis, and drummer Daniel Glass provided superb accompaniment for Dixon. Baker also arranged every chart.
Dixon wore an emerald dress that complemented her blonde hair and gave her an elegant, wholesomely old-fashioned appeal out of a 1940s film. Her choice of starting “Hello, Dolly!” (Jerry Herman) as a ballad was interesting. It became a swing, and she added a pinch of scat after the break. It was an auspicious start to the evening.
For a jazzy “Errand Girl for Rhythm” (Nat King Cole), Dixon flaunted her timing, and had a scat call and response with bassist DePaolis. Notably, she properly introduced the songs and their composers, something rarely done by most performers today, but something people like Sinatra and Ella always did.
An early highlight came with a slow jazz waltz medley of two relative obscure songs, “A Kid Again” (Danny Kaye) and “Waltz for Debby” (Bill Evans/Gene Lees). Dixon’s voice here was especially sweet and supple, singing with only piano accompaniment, and used her expressive eyes to help deliver the emotional meaning of the lyrics. This piece was one of Matt Baker’s best arrangements of the night. Baker is still recovering from a devastating finger injury a few months ago, though you could not discern this from his marvelous playing.
Dixon showed her brash, cocky side with a powerful, bluesy “Let the Good Times Roll” (the Louis Jordan song, not the 1950s rocker) that just about tore the roof off the joint.
The choice of “Something Cool” (Billy Barnes), a huge hit for June Christy, was a bit of a head scratcher. Sung entirely rubato, very well acted, with a simmering sexuality and with the phrasing of someone telling her story to a bartender, Dixon’s performance was flawless. Still, this is a song you’d associate with an older, blowsy character more like Elaine Stritch as Joanne, singing “The Ladies Who Lunch” in Company. (Then again, Billy Strayhorn wrote at least part of “Lush Life” when he was 16.)
Dixon’s sapphic interpretation of “Maria” (Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim) was a revelation. She sang it beautifully, with great passion. May she never stop singing “Maria”!
After a fine medley of “It’s a Big Wide Wonderful World” (John Rox) and “Almost Like Being in Love,” Dixon encored with “When You Wish Upon a Star.” Though they say to “always leave ‘em wanting more,” the set was surprisingly short, with sufficient time for a couple of songs, even with the encore.
This was an excellent 54 Below debut for Dixon. She has the chops, the passion in her performance, and the poise and sureness of someone far more experienced. Keep an eye out for her next performance in New York.
Ella Mae Dixon performed on March 7 at 54 Below, 254 West 54th Street, between Eighth Avenue and Broadway (www.54below.org).
Photos: Andrew Poretz
