Steve Tyrell: One More for the Road
Steve Tyrell
One More for the Road
Feinstein’s at the Nikko, San Francisco, CA, 10 March 2016
Reviewed by Steve Murray for Cabaret Scenes
Steve Tyrell has had a stellar career behind the scenes as a record producer, winning a Grammy and working with artists like Rod Stewart, Diana Ross, B.J. Thomas and Dionne Warwick. One More for the Road is his tribute to Ol’ Blue Eyes and the music of the Great American Songbook. To the pre-baby boomer era, who make up the majority of his audience, Tyrell is the closest to the Sinatra sound they’re going to get. But while the sounds are happily familiar and nostalgic, it’s dated and uninspired.
An adequate singer, Tyrell stretches a bit in the higher register and never quite digs into the meaning of the material he presents. Everyone knows how Sinatra handled this material, making songs written 30 years previously for other singers his own. It’s not enough to tell anecdotes of Sinatra days gone by without supporting the material with at least updated, smart arrangements and some insightful interpretations. Bob Mann, Tyrell’s longtime collaborator, is responsible for the arrangements and only one, “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” had any energy. The addition of a Korg Triton synthesizer added to the musical lethargy.
There were a couple of good vocal deliveries—Cole Porter’s “Night and Day” and “Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out to Dry” (Cahn/Styne)—but the rest of Sinatra’s legacy was unfortunately left to hang out to dry. Tyrell’s fans, luckily, are not that discriminating, opting to tap their toes and swing along to songs that are deeply ingrained in their psyche. To that end, Tyrell delivers what’s expected.
Category: Cabaret Reviews, Regional, San Francisco, San Francisco Cabaret Reviews
