Wesla Whitfield and Mike Greensill: Harry Warren Songs

Steve Murray | January 26, 2015

Wesla Whitfield

Harry Warren Songs

Society Cabaret, Hotel Rex, San Francisco, CA, January 23, 2015

Reviewed by Steve Murray for Cabaret Scenes

Society Cabaret met real cabaret royalty in the form of Mike Greensill and Wesla Whitfield. With a sound of pure quality, fostered by decades of musical and life partnership, the duo defines and grandly represents the very best of the Great American Songbook. A master of ballads, Whitfield chooses her material wisely, capturing and then elucidating great lyrics with her pitch-perfect enunciation and soft delivery. The melodies of Harry Warren—combined with lyrics by the likes of Johnny Mercer, Al Dubin and Mack Gordon—are brought to life through Greensill’s light and buoyant style.

Upbeat swings like “Jeepers Creepers,” “Cheerful Little Earful” and “We’re in the Money” are Whitfield’s cheery flip side. Silly novelty songs like “The Girl Friend of the Whirling Dervish” and “Hooray for Spinach,” and rare tunes like the lovely ballad “There Is No Music for Me” and Greensill’s rendition of “Lulu’s Back in Town” show the couple’s keen musical awareness and joy for their craft. Warren hits like “The More I See You” (Gordon), “I Only Have Eyes for You” (Dubin) and “You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby” (Mercer) flesh out the set and complete a lovely evening of timeless classics.

Tags: Al Dubin, cabaret singer, cabaret vocalist, Harry Warren, Hooray for Spinach, Hotel Rex, I Only Have Eyes for You, Jazz Vocalist, Johnny Mercer, Mack Gordon, Male Vocalist, Mike Greensill, Society Cabaret, Steve Murray, The Girl Friend of the Whirling Dervish, The More I See You, Vocalist, Wesla Whitield, You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby