Review: Bryan Eng at Bemelmans Bar... A Role He Was Born to Play

We have another link in the chain of my favorite category of entertainer…. singer/pianists, in the tradition of musicians like Nat King Cole, Buddy Greco, Bobby Short, Matt Dennis, Bobby Troup, Bobby Cole, Frankie Randall, Steve Ross, Billy Joel, Norah Jones, Billy Stritch, Tony DeSare, Ann Hampton Callaway (plus many others). Bryan Eng is now a member in that elite society of performers who are able to sit on a nightclub’s piano bench, create eloquent keyboard accompaniments and solos, and lean into a boom microphone singing with voices you fall in love with.  Quite a number of the afore mentioned practitioners of that art form are also songwriters, and Bryan is definitely one of those too.  His recent show at Birdland displayed talents as both a composer and lyricist. However, it is his ability to perform the Great American Songbook at a venue he rightfully deserves to reside in now (Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle), that firmly established Bryan to me as an heir apparent to evenings spent with Bobby Short and those other artists.  He has that  “swing”, he has that “cool”, and he has the musicality. Bryan knows the right piano notes and where to put them to flawlessly coexist with his smooth romantic singing style.  It doesn’t hurt that he also has acting credits.  This is a role Bryan Eng was born to play