Carole J. Bufford: Birdland Jazz Party
Carole J. Bufford
Birdland Jazz Party
Birdland, NYC, August 30, 2015
Reviewed by Marilyn Lester for Cabaret Scenes
There’s no doubt that Carole J. Bufford is a bona-fide Red Hot Mama. Bufford belts ’em with style, infusing her favored blues arrangements with sassy power. “You Came a Long Way from St. Louis” was a message to fasten seat belts. The subsequent ride through such songs as “My Man Rocks Me (with One Steady Roll)” and “You’ve Got the Right Key, But the Wrong Keyhole,” plus her ultra-earthy version of “Cry Me a River” left no doubt that music was being made with all the stops out.
Bufford feels a song as much as sings it. Her attention to the lyric is keen and wondrous. “All of Me,” generally done up-tempo, was sung as a torch song, bringing the words alive with new meaning. Ditto for “I Don’t Hurt Anymore,” “All Alone,” “Goody Goody” and “I Want to Be Loved.”
Musical Director and piano man Ian Herman showed his fine musical chops with his composed classical interlude to a bluesy “I Love a Piano.” On “Sway,” drummer Daniel Glass rapped out an effective solo accompaniment. Bassist Phil Palombi and reed man Matt Koza rounded out Bufford’s excellent quartet.
Guest artist Bob Stillman duetted with Bufford on “Guilt” and sang a traditional solo on “I Thought About You.” Then, with an odd version of “Help!” (Lennon/McCartney), he played his own eccentric arrangement, in the style of James Taylor. A surprise guest was crooner Eric Yves Garcia, who played and sang a solid straight-ahead “Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone.”
Bufford’s eclectic set list is carefully curated. The songs range from the esoteric (“Aged and Mellow Blues”) to Disney (“He’s a Tramp”) to country (“If I Didn’t Know Better”) to the standards (“The Man I Love”). She knows her stuff, gives you all she’s got, and lets the music speak for itself in the best possible way.
Category: Cabaret Reviews, New York City, New York City Cabaret Reviews
