Gabrielle Stravelli & Michael Kanan: Stairway to the Stars
Gabrielle Stravelli & Michael Kanan
Stairway to the Stars
July 26, 2016
Reviewed by Alix Cohen for Cabaret Scenes
A vocal by Gabrielle Stravelli has the kind of pristine clarity that makes one rethink the definition of the word.
The jaunty “As Long As I Live” (Harold Arlen/Ted Koehler) showcases her natural ability to slip/slide notes or segue into a wah-wah horn sound. A 1930s song, it also sets the tenor for this CD. Piano seems illusively easy, taking a backseat except during an instrumental break that doodles around the melody. Duke Ellington/Bob Russell’s “Do Nothin’ Till You Hear from Me” utilizes that wah-wah styling. Stravelli plays with it, sashaying between provocative pauses. It’s a tease, a dare. Michael Kanan’s piano winks, wiggles, and swings a bit.
“The Nearness of You” (Hoagy Carmichael/Ned Washington) arrives with strolling vocal and soft shoe accompaniment. Single-syllable words emerge as three. The interpretation is not as serious as usual, conjuring an insouciant hands-in-pockets attitude, ending with raised eyebrows and a shrug. Ellington/Russell’s “I Didn’t Know About You” begins confidently with a honeyed a cappella. You can barely hear Stravelli’s vibrato, it’s so far back in her throat, holding a lingering note. Reflective piano acts like lighting.
Though “So Rare” (Jerry Herst/Jack Sharpe) was written in 1937, it didn’t become a hit until Jimmy Dorsey popularized it in 1957. This sounds like an early version. It sways. Stravelli gives “perfection” a particular hush. Intake of breath is like a carrying breeze. Piano is scalloped—think hammock. Unlike cuts with more attention on technique than meaning, the song is warm.
The pairing of “I Don’t Know Where to Turn” (Jeri Southern/Ray Hutchinson) and “Autumn Nocturne” (Josef Myrow/Kim Gannon) is symbiotic. Stravelli’s range and control are both here in spades. A single lyric line might begin open-throated and turn cottony. In the second song, the word “cold” virtually shivers; shadows envelop.
Irving Berlin’s “I’m Putting All My Eggs in One Basket” is delivered as expected, but enhanced by an infectiously happy voice. Two other tracks are fine, but undistinguished, also bearing no unique signature.
The CD’s title song, “Stairway to the Stars” (Matty Malneck/Frank Signorelli/Mitchell Parish) is unquestionably its highlight. Eschewing the formulaic structure of other arrangements, only one other song opens with music. This number is half splendid, sighing piano. By the time Stravelli comes in, we’re wrapped in atmosphere. Vocal is languid, lush, satiny. Kanan’s keyboard is stroked. Afterwards, silence settles slowly.
Category: Music, Music Reviews, New York City, New York City Music Reviews, Regional
