Remy Block: On a Lonely Road: Traveling with Joni Mitchell
Remy Block
On a Lonely Road: Traveling with Joni Mitchell
Pangea, NYC, December 9, 2016
Reviewed by Melody Breyer-Grell for Cabaret Scenes
Remy Block
A well-constructed cabaret show not only showcases the musical gifts of any given artist, but takes one on a journey through the performer’s consciousness. Remy Block delivered that experience in an evening that looked at the legacy of Joni Mitchell through a jazzy and emotive perspective enhanced by the intelligent direction of by Raquel Cion. With much discussion of Block’s travels through the U.S. and abroad, this vocally well-endowed singer made the music her own. There was a true feeling of Americana in Block’s rendition of Mitchell’s “Refuge of the Roads,” yet she is able to bring us to an exotic and even comic examination of some rituals when in India. In a hysterically acted-out group of stories, she elucidates the pros and cons of taking chances abroad, as she gets tossed out of one place of worship only to be permitted to sing for hours with a horde of Indian males as the lone woman. Until their wives come drifting in, having not heard a tone of their husband’s voices. Ah, religion! Personal relations are made and broken without a hint of self-pity as she is clearly a “young soul,” whose desire it is to make contact with her audience and spread joy. Remy does show a great amount of wisdom with her choice of Musical Director, Gregory Toroian. Though a sublime jazz pianist, his ability to work in a nuanced fashion with cabaret singers is rare. The sweetly yet robustly-voiced Block aptly concluded the night of Mitchell’s with the eternal “Both Sides Now.”
Category: Cabaret Reviews, New York City, New York City Cabaret Reviews, Regional
