Review: AN EVENING WITH CÉCILE MCLORIN SALVANT at Carnegie Hall Is Transfixing

The audience at Carnegie Hall on Thursday March 27, 2025 quite literally could not get enough of Cécile McLorin Salvant. The acclaimed jazz singer closed out the venue’s 2024-25 Originals Series with a knockout concert titled An Evening with Cécile McLorin Salvant: With Every Breath I Take. From the immense applause she received from the moment she stepped onstage, to whispered conversation I heard before the show began, it was apparent that the auditorium was stuffed to the gills with die-hard fans. Going into the show, I was completely unfamiliar with Salvant, but I left a convert: with her exquisite vocal control, strong voice, rich emotional depth and confident but demure, it’s no wonder she’s amassed such an army of fans. After the 90-minute concert, their roaring cheers and applause persuaded Salvant to return for no less than three encores. I got the sense that left to their own devices, they might never have left, but when the clapping refused to cease after the third song, Salvant finally appeared to take one last bow, signaling that we should disperse.

I don’t blame the crowd for their enthusiasm. Salvant is transfixing. Her remarkable voice wraps around notes and twists to her will, showcasing a tremendous range. Every single song she chose was a knockout, from a subdued, haunting “Send in the Clowns” (Sondheim) to a sorrowful yet power-filled rendition of “With Every Breath I Take“ from City of Angels. She has a natural stage presence, giving the audience just the right amount of background to draw us in. She manages to be unassuming and ego-less without seeming unsure of herself. Before launching into an original song she wrote called “Left Over” where she accompanied herself on piano, backed only by the string section, she admitted that she had a touch of stage fright about playing piano in front of people since it seems so intimate to her. That admission of vulnerability made the song that much more powerful, with the strings section accentuating the lovely melody and highlighting her skillful piano work.

The entire band accompanying Salvant throughout the night was wonderful. She was backed by Sullivan Fortner on piano, David Wong on bass, Kush Abadey on drums, and The Knights. Colin and Eric Jacobsen provided artistic direction, with the latter also conducting the concert. These are some of the foremost jazz musicians in the country, and they amply showed off their skill throughout the concert, coupling musical precision with flawless improvisation. Their music filled the room in the Stern Auditorium / Perelman Stage, with its exquisite acoustics.

Salvant was thrilled to introduce her special guest, mandolinist Chris Thile, whose videos inspired her to practice until she was as good as he was. He joined her on several songs, most notably as her sole accompanist while she sang “Two Tall Mountains / American Tune.” Thile is an expressive performer, emoting strongly with his facial features during an impressive musical performance.

The evening featured wonderful arrangements by Darcy James Argue. I especially appreciated his subtle work on Salvant’s “Being Alive,” (Sondheim), which started out acapella and then featured more and more instruments until the entire band was backing her, mirroring the character’s realization that we truly need human connection in order to survive.

Salvant closed the show with a high-energy “Let’s Face the Music and Dance,” her third and final encore of the night. It was a lovely note to send us back out into the night with – and I’m sure everyone in the crowd left with a song in their heart. I know that I did.

Header photo credit: Lawrence Sumulong

Learn more about the performer and where to  find her online at www.cecilemclorinsalvant.com