The Cabaret Chronicles: William Blake, Cast Party, and Look at the Week Ahead!

Happy Saturday!  Wow, the second weekend in September already?!  Where IS this year going?  I took Labor Day weekend off from writing, and have begun to ease back into things this week!  I gave myself one night out, and wow - what a night it was!  It was Monday, September 6^th, and I spent the entire evening at Birdland.  The first part of the night was William Blake's phenomenal concert, and the second part was my regular Monday night hangout: Jim Caruso's Cast Party.  And between the two events, I got my fill of entertainment for the week - and then some!  Now, William Blake may not be a name you're familiar with, but it will be soon enough.  A Dallas, Texas native, Mr. Blake has been in NYC for three years and has been steadily wowing the open mic and piano bar crowd with his amazing voice.  Now, when I say "amazing voice," please know that this is not an overstatement or an exaggeration - if anything, it's an understatement!  He has an absolutely incredible range (sometimes, I think he sings higher than I do!), and it's supported by a rich, full, soulful voice.  Earlier this year, William made his Carnegie Hall debut in "Standard Time With Michael Feinstein" and he wowed the crowd there, too!  But this past Monday, New York finally got a full William Blake show - and it was worth every second of the wait!  Backed by a terrific band (musical director Michael Murray on the Fender Rhodes, Mike Noordzy on bass, Doug Mikula on guitar, and Jakubu Griffin on drums), William put on a feel-good, high energy concert of fantastic R&B music from the 60s and 70s.  The song selection was just great - from the opening "I Want To Take You Higher" to the Rufus & Chaka Khan hit "Tell Me Something Good" to "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" (the Gladys Knight version!) to his THREE (yep, THREE!) encores, William had the audience in the palm of his hand.  Not only was his exceptional instrument in top shape, but he filled each of the songs with incredible passion and soul.  On top of all of that, he simply radiated joy.  He was in his element and having the time of his life - as he should have been!  I feel privileged and excited to have been in attendance at William's first solo show in NYC - this young man has an unlimited future ahead of him and I can't wait to watch his star climb.  As I said, this may be the first time you're hearing his name, but it most certainly will not be the last! 

Now, after such an exciting concert, it would've been easy to feel a bit of a let-down later in the evening, but luckily, Jim Caruso's Cast Party kept the energy level and the talent level high, and the evening's entertainment continued at a rollicking pace!  Guest host Klea Blackhurst was charming, entertaining, fun, and welcoming, and she set the pace for the night with a couple of rousing opening numbers!  And as a special surprise, Billy Stritch joined in the fun for a duet on the first song, "In The Cool, Cool, Cool of the Evening!"  Other performers for the night included Michael Winther, Richie Eisenberg, Jonathan Russell, and KT Sullivan, who performed a medley of 29 songs from the year 1929 - so much fun!  It was another terrific night at Birdland, and a wonderful way to start the week! 

Where I'm going this week...

TODAY, Saturday September 11^th:  That's Amore: Jenna Sings Love, Italian Style at BACKSTAGE dopo teatro.  Yes, it's my own show!  I'm thrilled to be making my BACKSTAGE dopo teatro debut with my tribute to some of the greatest Italian-American singers of the 20^th century including Tony Bennett, Dean Martin, Connie Francis, and Frank Sinatra.  Show starts at 9:30 p.m. 

Monday, September 13^th:  7:00 p.m. -  Bill Goffi at The Duplex in "My Brother And Me."  Joined by a cast of guest singers (including yours truly!), Bill has put together what is sure to be a great show!  

10:00 p.m. - Cast Party at Birdland.  Hosted by Jim Caruso, this fantastic open mic runs from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. but make sure you get there early to sign up if you want to sing!  This week, Jim will be out of town, performing with Liza in Vegas, so talented producer Scott Siegel will be subbing as host!

Pictured: William Blake