Review: BEEGIE ADAIR AND MONICA RAMEY WITH ROGER SPENCER Are a Musical Masterpiece The Birdland Theater

There are times in the life of a club-goer when you leave a show knowing that you have just witnessed that rare thing, perfection in a musical performance. The mastery of the musicians unparalleled, the artistry of the actors beyond compare, and the observation of the opera par excellence, the music aficionado departs the venue in a dazed, amazed and slightly crazed state of almost post-coital bliss, simply because he or she has had the opportunity to sit back, turn their mind off, and allow sounds of such exquisite creation wash over them. Such was the experience of hearing The Beegie Adair Trio last night at The Birdland Theater.

Though they are not billed on The Birdland website as The Beegie Adair Trio, that is how they were announced at their opening performance last night. The Beegie Adair Trio is billed as pianist Beegie Adair, bassist Roger Spencer, and percussionist Chuck Brown; last night's performers were Ms. Adair, Mr. Spencer, and guest vocalist Monica Ramey, who has a long and respected association with Adair & co. For their 80-minute set last night, Ms. Adair kept to her piano and Mr. Spencer to his bass, for half the show, welcoming Ms. Ramey to the microphone for the other half, and each of their musical numbers, whether purely instrumental or sublimely vocally enhanced, was a piece of music one would wish could be found on a recording somewhere. If music could be placed in a museum for eternal enjoyment, this would be the music. From their opening number "Speak Low," the manner with which Adair and Spencer deliver unto their (nearly) full house at The Birdland Theater is something akin to looking at a Gerhard Richter painting or eating a Gale Gand confection. The connection these two musicians have is palpable - sitting in a room and watching them work from their static positions on opposite sides of the stage might sound like watching paint dry on a wall - instead, the experience is an opportunity to witness how music builds a bridge, from stage right to stage left, from the stage to the tables in the audience. Not all patrons will have the vantage point of seeing Adair's fingers fly across the keyboard, but the sounds floating out of the piano are sensual enough to create a tactile expression of what is happening that is out of sight; meanwhile, Spencer's fingers on the bass are unbelievable in their dexterity and weightlessness, grounding every melody in their earthy rhythms and celestial sounds. The time that Adair and Spencer have spent creating music all these years has given them a telepathy that renders unnecessary any communication during their show: like one person, she exhales as he inhales, the result being musical offerings that serve as a tonic after a long New York day.

The tonic that they are is compounded by the addition to the stage of Monica Ramey.

Ms. Ramey, it is explained, is the Beegie Adair Trio's manager, wearing many hats during each business day: happily, one of those hats is that of vocalist extraordinaire. Joining them on the stage to sing some cuts from their upcoming Doris Day tribute cd, Ms. Ramey brings a humanity to the scientific creation of perfect music with a wealth of warmth and a host of humor that is refreshingly surprising. Looking elegant and sophisticated as a 1940's Harper's Bazaar cover model, one might falsely expect an icy aloofness from the auburn-tressed beauty, an assumption to be discarded as soon as she begins speaking to the audience about reverence for Beegie, a respect for Doris Day, and a staunch directive that nobody in the audience touch anybody during these confusing times of airborne germs. Ms. Ramey's musical selections are all from the forthcoming CD, and Day would have been proud of the choices the trio has made in their effort to honor her, each choice interesting, some to be expected, some surprising, and all of them arranged and performed in a manner that both represents Day's original recordings, yet also allows today's artists to shine in their own light. Ramey's vocals are impeccable as to go hand in hand with the backup being provided by the venerated duo behind her, with breath control clean enough to produce notes with almost no vibrato floating into the night air like the finest chocolate followed by the smoothest cognac. With absolutely no grandstanding, Ramey shows that there are three great jazz musicians and three stunning instruments being played for the jazz-lovers at Birdland. This is a sophisticated bunch, and those who witness them in the act of creation are, indeed, lucky in their choice of shows to see in NYC.

In spite of these 80 minutes of consummate music-making, stand out moments of the show include "Wrap Your Troubles In Dreams (And Dream Your Troubles Away)" and "The Shadow of Your Smile" -- the kind of performances that music lovers go into nightclubs hoping to hear, they are the perfect remedy for the long, exhausting New York week just past. Sitting at your table as the craftsmanship of the artists fills the theater, you can actually feel the tension and stress melt off the body and know you will have a peaceful night's sleep. The superb music and musicians are reason enough to go see The Beegie Adair Trio... the 8 hours of consecutive sleep that follow is a blissful added bonus.

Beegie Adair and Monica Ramey with Bassist Roger Spencer play Birdland Theater March 7 at 7 pm and 9:45 pm. For information and tickets please visit the Birdland website

Find Beegie Adair & co. online at the Beegie Adair website

Photos by Stephen Mosher

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