Interview: Phillip Officer Honors Mabel Mercer With YOU FASCINATE ME SO at 54 Below

On October 24, 2025, Phillip Officer will celebrate the release of You Fascinate Me So: Phillip Officer Salutes Mabel Mercer with a special concert at 54 Below featuring KT Sullivan. The album, available in streaming and digital formats the day of the concert on Friday, October 24, is a tribute to the legendary Mabel Mercer and her influence on lyric interpretation. Acclaimed vocalist Officer reinterprets Mercer’s repertoire through a contemporary lens, offering new versions of both cherished standards and captivating rarities. You can pre-save the album at orcd.co/phillipofficer.

Read a conversation with Officer about the album and release concert.

How were you first exposed to Mabel Mercer?

When I moved to New York City in the mid-1980s, I was obsessed with theatre and music.  I was vaguely aware of bistros and cabarets and had heard the name Bobby Short. I was introduced to cabaret impresario Donald Smith, who took delight in educating me about the legendary Mabel Mercer. He invited me to his home and played a VHS tape of Mabel performing at Cleo’s, shortly before I arrived in New York. Like many before me, I was totally captivated by Mabel. As I learned more about her life, my admiration only grew deeper. Her influence on song interpretation of the American Popular Songbook has left an indelible mark.

What about her essence did you want to capture in this album, and show?

 It was imperative that I try to capture the “truth and honesty” always prevalent in a Mercer performance.  It was her most distinguishing asset.  She had a reserved, yet playful sense of humor which was important to infuse in her repertoire.  Mabel had a clean and clear approach to a song, never accessorizing the story with unnecessary mannerisms or intentions. I wanted to honor Mabel’s essence, yet I wanted to modernize and make the songs my personal own.

How does it feel to be getting ready to release this album to the world? 

I couldn’t be more proud to release my first recording in 25 years! This was not something that I had been brainstorming or trying to manifest. I had always had great admiration for Mabel Mercer’s life story of survival. There is no denying her place in history and her effect on the evolution of popular music LYRIC interpretation. She was muse to some of the world’s most celebrated song stylists. President Ronald Reagan acknowledged her achievements and bestowed her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In celebration of Mabel’s 125th birthday, I couldn’t be more honored to shine the spotlight on her remarkable legacy. 

What was the most difficult part of putting it together? The most rewarding?

I knew right out of the gate that I was dealing with a superlative repertoire of songs by some of the world’s most prolific and popular songwriters of the 20th century. I was easily seduced by the lyrics and stories of certain songs that Mabel had recorded – that was the easy part of the project. The difficult task was having to listen to myself over and over and over again in the studio process of recording, mixing and mastering! The effervescence of the songs would quickly evaporate. I longed to maintain an organic freshness and presence on each track. I knew the truth and honesty would grow from that. In the end, I am at peace knowing we created a recording that celebrates an intimacy and honesty that I’d like to believe Mabel would bless. 

What else are you working on?

Replacing my car insurance.  It’s that time of year.  Ah, life.  It’s a balancing act!!

Is there anything else you’d like to add?

I would love to see you at our album release party at 54 Below on October 24, at 9:30 pm. If you’re feeling that’s too late to go out on a Friday night, let me remind you that Mabel never even started singing until midnight… until 4 am!!  This is New York City… the city that never sleeps!!

Header photo by Gene Reed