Photo Coverage: Kathy Sledge Brings THE BRIGHTER SIDE OF DAY to the Metropolitan Roon

Between the two legendary bastions of great jazz, the Blue Note on West 3rd street, and Birdland on 44th Street, is another music stage on 22nd street. The kind of music usually associated with those two clubs was heard at the Metropolitan Room last night. With swinging and elegant singing, Kathy Sledge brought the music of Billie Holiday to the standing room only crowd that packed operating partner Bernie Furshpan's Cabaret venue. With a band that seemed to stretch the entire length of the room, a group of musicians called "Somebody Tell Joe & The Chops" turned on an engine of sound which was akin to hearing Count Basie and crew at the Sands in Las Vegas. As the leader shouted out the tempo cue, 1-2-3-4, horns raised and John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" and Gillespie and Paparelli's "Night In Tunisia" lifted the musically elite audience out of their seats.

Then Kathy Sledge took stage to sing the title song of her show, "Brighter Side Of Day". She kept a room full of adoring fans enthralled with those great Bilie Holiday tunes, "God Bless The Child", Good Morning Heartache", "Almost Like Being In Love", and others in the great Holiday repertoire. Kathy Sledge has the voice and musicality which made this evening a special event. "The Chops" which consisted of Mike Kwas, Philip Lightfoot, Derrick Graves, Joe Johnson, Dave Watson, Darryl Dixon, James Cage, and Danny Hall, created a wall of sound that was able to be enjoyed by the folks out on 22nd street that couldn't get in the sold out event.

Photo Credit: Stephen Sorokoff

Kathy Sledge

Somebody Tell Joe & The Chops

Kathy Sledge

Dave Wilson, Darryl Dixon, Danny Hall, James Cage

Kathy Sledge

Kathy Sledge

Kathy Sledge

Dave Watson

Stephen Sorokoff & Kathy Sledge

Kathy Sledge

Bernard Furshpan & Joanne Camilleri Furshpan

The Metropolitan Room