Champian Fulton Trio
Champian Fulton Trio
Bemelmans Bar, NYC, August 7, 2016
Reviewed by Marilyn Lester for Cabaret Scenes
Performing in a piano bar successfully takes a certain skill – an ability to authentically connect with patrons, despite a penchant of some to wander off into their own conversations. The trick is to be fully engaged with the music, and that Champian Fulton is. The singer/pianist and her two sidemen, Chris Berger on double bass and Ron Afiff on guitar, were having a whale of a time as they launched into their set and tripped through the music with élan. Fulton, with her appealing smile, is a genial presence at the keys. She has a captivating voice, demonstrated in the 1923 standard, a nicely phrased “I Cried for You (Now It’s Your Turn to Cry Over Me)” (Gus Arnheim/Abe Lyman/Arthur Freed). A sprightly “Baubles, Bangles and Beads” (Robert Wright and George Forrest, based on Borodin) followed, in which Afiff, fingers flying, coaxed some sounds from his guitar that seemed to magically call in other instruments.
Fulton’s voice is paradoxically girlish and yet holds an earthy come-hither quality, most apparent on “What a Difference a Day Made” (Maria Grever, with English lyrics by Stanley Adams), which evoked images of slow dancing in darkly romantic settings. A swinging, airy rendition of “All of Me,” the 1931 standard by Gerald Marks and Seymour Simons, especially showcased the contrapuntal ability of Afiff to soar into improvisation and then land in sync with Fulton’s melody. Berger, who chiefly anchors with a meditative bass line, also got to demonstrate a few licks of his own wizardry. All three musicians presented a harmonious and splendid instrumental in a slightly Latinized version of that gem of a song, “Smile” (Charlie Chaplin’s melody from 1936 with John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons’ lyrics added in 1954). Near the end of the set, with “Lover Man (Oh, Where Can You Be?)” (Jimmy Davis/Roger Ramirez/Jimmy Sherman) and “East of the Sun (and West of the Moon)” (Brooks Bowman), it was clear the trio was really cooking.
Champian Fulton plays a clear, solid straight-ahead jazz piano. In her repertoire of standards she’s joyfully anchored in a style that’s pure, unmannered swing. She is a superb steward of America’s own music at its best, and that’s a very welcome proposition.
Category: Cabaret Reviews, New York City, New York City Cabaret Reviews, Regional
