Lucille Carr-Kaffashan

 

 

By Sandi Durell

 

This Bistro Award Winner (Outstanding Theme Show) along with a prestigious MAC Hanson Award, is smart, funny and, above all, talented. Having paid homage to female singer-songwriters in 2017, it was obviously time to pull out all stops and get some testosterone aboard in this latest Don’t Tell Mama exclusive How the Light Gets In for only two performances, this last one on June 6.

Lucille is composed, comfortable and spreads her warmth quickly to an audience making John Legend’s “All of Me” a good opening choice… ‘cause I give you all of me and you give me all of you…’ which then made the uplifting “For the First Time’ (Darius Rucker written with Derek George, Scooter Carusoe) a positive life message – When was the last time you did something for the first time? Yeah, let yourself go follow that feeling…

It’s easy to categorize the male gender into one big bubble – difficulties in expressing feelings and emotions. So Lucille and her exceptional musical director, Jeff Cubeta, responsible for all arrangements, carefully selected male songwriters because of how they use their art for that purpose. Beautifully aiding the cause were Sean Harkness on guitar, Matt Scharfglass on bass and the sensitive hand of David Hilder directing.

 

 

Being the insightful storyteller she is, Lucille digs deep into a lyric unearthing meaning that might escape an ordinary performer, making for a more thought-provoking presentation. Choices like the Bee Gees (Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb, Barry Gibb) 1977 “Stayin’ Alive” neatly wrapped with Bruce Springsteen & E Street Band’s “Dancing in the Dark” is a good example, along with “Superman (It’s Not Easy)” (2001 John Ondrasik aka Five for Fighting) all about ‘a man in a funny red sheet looking for a dream – – not easy to be me.”

Each song contains important messages that we either forget or choose to ignore. ….”Just relax take it easy . . . find a girl, settle down – – Every generation blames the one before and all of their frustrations come beating on your door . . . “Father and Son” (1970 Cat Stevens melded with “The Living Years” (1988 B.A. Roberston, Mike Rutherford – Mike and The Mechanics)

Lucille has a wry, funny side that emerges in a song like Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings’ “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to be Cowboys,” delivered in a matter of fact manner juxtaposed with the triple blended sadness of death and dying “If We Were Vampires” (2017 Michael Jason Isbell); “Hold Back the River” (2015 James Michael Bay with Iain Denis Archer); “100 Years” (2004 – John Ondrasik) where I especially took note of Lucille’s very expressive hands.

 

 

And there were more –  others that wound around and through and shaped the theme and music of “How The Light Gets In” poignantly rooted in Leonard Cohen’s 1992 “Anthem.”

With Lucille’s warm flowing vocals, reflective nature about life and relationships, her expressiveness emerges from the inside out putting a stamp on her individuality as a performer.

Photos: Takako Harkness