The Metropolitan Room Announces Their June Events

By: May. 18, 2010
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Come join us every Friday and Saturday from 11PM-2AM for our piano lounge. No cover, no minimum! The Met Room is located at 34 West 22nd St Betw. 5th & 6th Ave. - New York, NY 10010 - Tel: 212 206 0440 - Fax: 212 206 0433

6/1 7:30PM Wesla Whitfield Hollywood gave birth to some of the American Songbook's finest entries by such notable composers and lyricists as Harry Warren, "Yip" Harburg, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer, Richard Whiting, Jimmy McHugh and Sammy Cahn. Hollywood also enlisted the great Broadway masters George and Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart and Jerome Kern - to name but a few. These stellar artists wrote the songs sung by such motion picture stars as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney, Shirley Temple, The Marx Brothers, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and many more of the most beloved movie stars of the 20th century. Featuring the magical and original interpretations of vocalist Wesla Whitfield along with the swinging Mike Greensill Trio, "We're In The Money" presents the best of Hollywood's musical soundtracks including Over the Rainbow, Jeepers Creepers, A Kiss To Build A Dream On, The Boy Next Door and many more along with stories of the legendary performers who made these songs into the timeless and unforgettable tunes we all love. This is a show you won't want to miss! Join Wesla and Mike as they explore the scores of such movie gems as Meet Me In St Louis, An American in Paris, Bandwagon, The Wizard of Oz, Singing in the Rain, Top Hat and many more. "This wonderful singer thrills me when I hear her." ~Tony Bennett "Wesla Whitfield's back in town: the best cabaret singer in the world. She knows how to point up every lewd nuance in a Cole Porter lyric. But she can also swing as hard as Nat Cole, and her way with a torch song is as devastatingly unsentimental as Frank Sinatra at his late-50s best." ~Terry Teachout, New York Daily News "Wesla Whitfield is an indoor landmark. Every great city deserves a signature chanteuse, an San Francisco is fortunate to have Whitfield as its resident voice. Much like the city itself, Whitfield keeps an amused and affectionate eye on the glories of the past, while living entirely in the present. ~David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle $25
9:30PM Annie Ross JAZZ LEGEND ANNIE ROSS EVERY TUESDAY AT 9:30! "Ms. Ross is a master class in how to sing jazz inside out, upside and down......Her sense of time and rhythm will fracture you...." -Rex Reed.

Annie Ross has been an abundant contributor to the art of jazz for over 50 years. Born in the UK, she has been a permanent resident of the USA for many years and a US citizen since 2001. The following are some highlights of what has been a long and illustrious career in jazz: Annie Ross is one of the pioneers of vocalese and the composer of "Twisted", one of the most well known examples of that art, as well as "Farmers Market", quot;Jackie" and many others. A founding member of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, considered the greatest jazz vocal ensemble of all time, her influence is present in all subsequent practitioners of vocalese. "Twisted" has been recorded by a host of vocalists, including some not normally associated with jazz, including Joni Mitchell and Bette Midler.

Annie Ross toured in the 50's with the extraordinary Lionel Hampton band that included Art Farmer, Clifford Brown, Gigi Gryce, and Quincy Jones. Ms. Ross has recorded with James Moody, Kenny Clarke, Milt Jackson, Harry Sweets Edison, the Count Basie band, Louis Armstrong, Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer, Chet Baker and many more. In this variety of settings, she became known as a great jazz singer, masterful at ballads and up tempos, with the ability to swing hard, improvise and make every lyric meaningful and revealing. As a child, Annie Ross entered a talent show on the radio accompanied by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, which resulted an a six-month contract with MGM. She went to Hollywood at age eight where she appeared in "The Little Rascals" singing a jazz version of "Loch Lomond." At age eleven she appeared as Judy Garland's sister in "Presenting Lily Mars." At age 14 she composed the song "Let's Fly", which was subsequently recorded by Johnny Mercer and Jo Stafford. In Paris in the late 40's, she met up with musicians involved in modern jazz, including James Moody, Kenny Clarke, Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, Billy Strayhorn, and displayed an unerring ear and savvy sense of harmony, which was much appreciated. At 19, she recorded "Le Vent Vert" with Moody. Back in the U.S. at age 21 she recorded for Savoy, along with Clarke, Milt Jackson and Percy Heath. She worked on 52nd St. with Max Roach, Tommy Potter and George Wallington and subbed for Billie Holiday at the Apollo Theater. The original recordings of "Twisted" and "Farmer's Market" were done in 1952 with Wallington on piano and Art Blakey on drums. Annie Ross has continued to bring the essence of jazz to a broad spectrum of listeners internationally, by touring, through her recordings, conducting workshops, writing, and appearances in film, television and radio. Currently, Annie Ross is living in New York and is still active as a jazz performer, having recently performed in New York, Scotland, and Spain as well as having recorded a new CD, Let Me Sing. $25

 


6/2 7:00PM The MetropliTones 2 oz. musical prowess, 1 oz. Creativity, 1 oz. Devotion, 1 oz. pure adrenaline. Blend to create tight harmonies. Add a dash of camaraderie. Garnish with sass and vocal percussion. Serve in chilled pink martini glass.

That's the recipe The MetropoliTones followed for the creation of their latest CD, "Time For A Breakdown." Recorded this past February in Woodstock, the CD combines rock, pop and R&B sounds that are sure to entertain and "move" audiences. From sultry to sentimental, tracks include "My Lovin'" by En Vogue, "Golden Touch" by Razorlight, "Life Is A Highway" by Rascal Flatts, "Hard To Say I'm Sorry" by AZ YET and "Imagine" by John Lennon, to name a few.

Founded in 2001, The MetropoliTones is a New York City based a cappella group composed of graduates from the Seven Sisters colleges. The ‘Tones have graced the stage at Cipriani Midtown, the Bitter End, the Avon Breast Cancer Walk, Bartow-Pell Museum, TriBeCa Performing Arts Center, the Slipper Room and more. They have also performed "The Star Spangled Banner" for the Jets, Knicks, Devils and Nets.

Collectively they have 22 piercings, 48 ex-boyfriends and 351 pairs of shoes. Now that's worth singing about. http://www.metropolitones.com/testimonials.htm $10

9:45 Wesla Whitfield Hollywood gave birth to some of the American Songbook's finest entries by such notable composers and lyricists as Harry Warren, "Yip" Harburg, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer, Richard Whiting, Jimmy McHugh and Sammy Cahn. Hollywood also enlisted the great Broadway masters George and Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart and Jerome Kern - to name but a few. These stellar artists wrote the songs sung by such motion picture stars as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney, Shirley Temple, The Marx Brothers, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and many more of the most beloved movie stars of the 20th century. Featuring the magical and original interpretations of vocalist Wesla Whitfield along with the swinging Mike Greensill Trio, "We're In The Money" presents the best of Hollywood's musical soundtracks including Over the Rainbow, Jeepers Creepers, A Kiss To Build A Dream On, The Boy Next Door and many more along with stories of the legendary performers who made these songs into the timeless and unforgettable tunes we all love. This is a show you won't want to miss! Join Wesla and Mike as they explore the scores of such movie gems as Meet Me In St Louis, An American in Paris, Bandwagon, The Wizard of Oz, Singing in the Rain, Top Hat and many more. "This wonderful singer thrills me when I hear her." ~Tony Bennett "Wesla Whitfield's back in town: the best cabaret singer in the world. She knows how to point up every lewd nuance in a Cole Porter lyric. But she can also swing as hard as Nat Cole, and her way with a torch song is as devastatingly unsentimental as Frank Sinatra at his late-50s best." ~Terry Teachout, New York Daily News "Wesla Whitfield is an indoor landmark. Every great city deserves a signature chanteuse, an San Francisco is fortunate to have Whitfield as its resident voice. Much like the city itself, Whitfield keeps an amused and affectionate eye on the glories of the past, while living entirely in the present. ~David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle $25

 

6/3 7:30PM Wesla Whitfield Hollywood gave birth to some of the American Songbook's finest entries by such notable composers and lyricists as Harry Warren, "Yip" Harburg, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer, Richard Whiting, Jimmy McHugh and Sammy Cahn. Hollywood also enlisted the great Broadway masters George and Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart and Jerome Kern - to name but a few. These stellar artists wrote the songs sung by such motion picture stars as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney, Shirley Temple, The Marx Brothers, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and many more of the most beloved movie stars of the 20th century. Featuring the magical and original interpretations of vocalist Wesla Whitfield along with the swinging Mike Greensill Trio, "We're In The Money" presents the best of Hollywood's musical soundtracks including Over the Rainbow, Jeepers Creepers, A Kiss To Build A Dream On, The Boy Next Door and many more along with stories of the legendary performers who made these songs into the timeless and unforgettable tunes we all love. This is a show you won't want to miss! Join Wesla and Mike as they explore the scores of such movie gems as Meet Me In St Louis, An American in Paris, Bandwagon, The Wizard of Oz, Singing in the Rain, Top Hat and many more. "This wonderful singer thrills me when I hear her." ~Tony Bennett "Wesla Whitfield's back in town: the best cabaret singer in the world. She knows how to point up every lewd nuance in a Cole Porter lyric. But she can also swing as hard as Nat Cole, and her way with a torch song is as devastatingly unsentimental as Frank Sinatra at his late-50s best." ~Terry Teachout, New York Daily News "Wesla Whitfield is an indoor landmark. Every great city deserves a signature chanteuse, an San Francisco is fortunate to have Whitfield as its resident voice. Much like the city itself, Whitfield keeps an amused and affectionate eye on the glories of the past, while living entirely in the present. ~David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle $25

6/4 7:30PM Wesla Whitfield Hollywood gave birth to some of the American Songbook's finest entries by such notable composers and lyricists as Harry Warren, "Yip" Harburg, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer, Richard Whiting, Jimmy McHugh and Sammy Cahn. Hollywood also enlisted the great Broadway masters George and Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart and Jerome Kern - to name but a few. These stellar artists wrote the songs sung by such motion picture stars as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney, Shirley Temple, The Marx Brothers, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and many more of the most beloved movie stars of the 20th century. Featuring the magical and original interpretations of vocalist Wesla Whitfield along with the swinging Mike Greensill Trio, "We're In The Money" presents the best of Hollywood's musical soundtracks including Over the Rainbow, Jeepers Creepers, A Kiss To Build A Dream On, The Boy Next Door and many more along with stories of the legendary performers who made these songs into the timeless and unforgettable tunes we all love. This is a show you won't want to miss! Join Wesla and Mike as they explore the scores of such movie gems as Meet Me In St Louis, An American in Paris, Bandwagon, The Wizard of Oz, Singing in the Rain, Top Hat and many more. "This wonderful singer thrills me when I hear her." ~Tony Bennett "Wesla Whitfield's back in town: the best cabaret singer in the world. She knows how to point up every lewd nuance in a Cole Porter lyric. But she can also swing as hard as Nat Cole, and her way with a torch song is as devastatingly unsentimental as Frank Sinatra at his late-50s best." ~Terry Teachout, New York Daily News "Wesla Whitfield is an indoor landmark. Every great city deserves a signature chanteuse, an San Francisco is fortunate to have Whitfield as its resident voice. Much like the city itself, Whitfield keeps an amused and affectionate eye on the glories of the past, while living entirely in the present. ~David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle $25

 

10:00pm MetroJam MetroJam, hosted by Jenna Esposito, is the monthly open mic at the Metropolitan Room. Each month boasts a different guest star, a terrific lineup of performers and the fabulous MetroJam House Band: John DiPinto on piano, Ritt Henn on bass, and
Bobby Sher on drums. Singers and instrumentalists of all types are encouraged to
join in the fun - just bring two copies of your music (up-tempo songs are preferred)
and arrive early to sign up (sign-up begins at 9:30 p.m.) $10

 

6/5 7:30PM Wesla Whitfield Hollywood gave birth to some of the American Songbook's finest entries by such notable composers and lyricists as Harry Warren, "Yip" Harburg, Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer, Richard Whiting, Jimmy McHugh and Sammy Cahn. Hollywood also enlisted the great Broadway masters George and Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hart and Jerome Kern - to name but a few. These stellar artists wrote the songs sung by such motion picture stars as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney, Shirley Temple, The Marx Brothers, Bob Hope, Bing Crosby and many more of the most beloved movie stars of the 20th century. Featuring the magical and original interpretations of vocalist Wesla Whitfield along with the swinging Mike Greensill Trio, "We're In The Money" presents the best of Hollywood's musical soundtracks including Over the Rainbow, Jeepers Creepers, A Kiss To Build A Dream On, The Boy Next Door and many more along with stories of the legendary performers who made these songs into the timeless and unforgettable tunes we all love. This is a show you won't want to miss! Join Wesla and Mike as they explore the scores of such movie gems as Meet Me In St Louis, An American in Paris, Bandwagon, The Wizard of Oz, Singing in the Rain, Top Hat and many more. "This wonderful singer thrills me when I hear her." ~Tony Bennett "Wesla Whitfield's back in town: the best cabaret singer in the world. She knows how to point up every lewd nuance in a Cole Porter lyric. But she can also swing as hard as Nat Cole, and her way with a torch song is as devastatingly unsentimental as Frank Sinatra at his late-50s best." ~Terry Teachout, New York Daily News "Wesla Whitfield is an indoor landmark. Every great city deserves a signature chanteuse, an San Francisco is fortunate to have Whitfield as its resident voice. Much like the city itself, Whitfield keeps an amused and affectionate eye on the glories of the past, while living entirely in the present. ~David Wiegand, San Francisco Chronicle $25

9:45PM Warren Schien The "Remembering Mel" show pays fitting tribute to one of the most enduring singers of all time and includes many of Mel's most popular songs, including, "Lulu's Back In Town," "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry," "Sing For Your Supper," a medley of "Gershwin Classics;"and of course "The Christmas Song" to name but a few.Warren has been performing on stages across the New York metropolitan area for over two decades. He has played leading singing roles in many summer stock and Off-Broadway performances. Warren is also an actor and voice over artist in TV and radio commercials for such well known advertisers as The History Channel, Nickelodeon, WPLJ radio, Nick At Nite, and A&E. $20
11:00PM Piano Bar @ The Metropolitan Room Working on a new show? Want to revisit some established songs? Thinking about new material? Bring your charts and try it out with an audience and Ricky Ritzel, Steve Lowenthal, or Nate Buccieri at the piano with Kim Lee Hicks on vocals! Fridays & Saturdays from 11pm - 2am. No Cover Charge 1 Item Minimum Required

6/6 4:00PM Eli Gilbert Growing up is a complicated process, whether you're a child, a parent, or a mere bystander. And surprisingly, it is a process that never ends. Eli Gilbert has created a journey of songs, happy and sad, simple and profound, that evoke critical moments in that process. He draws on the work of Jacques Brel, Leonard Bernstein, Amanda McBroom, and others to remind us of where we have been and where we may be going. Eli's proceeds from the show will be donated to Children's Rights, an organization that protects America's abused and neglected children by reforming the child welfare systems they depend on to keep them safe. Musical Director: Barry Levitt. Director: Jay Rogers.

Mr. Gilbert is a relative newcomer to cabaret arts. His early credits include banjo in The Gross National Product, a band (Galax, VA: 1967) and the lyrics to "He Left the White House Now" (in re: Nixon's Resignation; Boston, MA: 1974). He is widely credited with the interstitial lyric "I'd like to have the part a' ya that gives me tachycardia" (from "Lend Me Your Heart," 1976). In subsequent years, he has been a regular fixture in bars (piano and otherwise) in Westhampton, San Francisco, and New York. He was rescued from this relative obscurity by Johnny King and Phil Campanella, who wheedled and cajoled him into his sell-out debut show, "Eli Celebrates the Glory of Love" (Danny's Skylight Room, 2004; subtitled "A Singer Old Enough to Know Better"). His numerous appearances at The Dorothy Jones Theater include A Tribute to Harry Warren and three composer-based revues for which he both wrote the book and played the Interlocutor: cool, cool evening . . . The Songs of Hoagy Carmichael; Take Manhattan . . . the Songs of Rogers and Hart; and Anything Went: Cole Porter and the High Art of High Society. His second one-man show, The Interpretation of Dreams . . . Sigmund Freud Meets Tin Pan Alley (wherein he was backed up by the delectable Dustmites), ran for two sellout performances in April, 2006, also at the late lamented Danny's. $15

7:00PM Yvonne Constant "Paris In The 60's and 70's" "A continuation of Yvonne's portrayal of the popular music of France - now reaching the '70's!" $20

9:30PM Rosemary Loar Rosemary Loar has reinvented the music of Sting, one of the pop world's iconic songwriters. With wit and sensitivity, Loar advances the view that Sting is the Cole Porter of this generation, a man who is not afraid to write lyrics that are intelligent, or that are simple, profound and universal. The glorious result: a whole new songbook of jazz Sting-standards. Loar breathes new life into the music of Sting with inventive interpretations of such classics as "Fields of Gold" and "Message In A Bottle". The music ranges from swing to samba and jazz/pop to crooning torch Rosemary Loar fell in love with jazz the first time she heard BillieHoliday sing on a scratchy old 78 LP. And sing jazz is what she did when she first came to New York, working in many of New York's legendary downtown jazz spots. But Broadway beckoned. Now, five Broadway shows, four national tours and numerous regional productions later, Rosemary returns to her first love. To celebrate her return she released her debut jazz/cabaret CD, "The Quando Swing " in December 2008.

Ms. Loar has been a cabaret artist for over 20 years. She has sung in New York City at Birdland, The Iridium, The Metropolitan Room, The Laurie Beechman Theater, Town Hall (as part of the Cabaret Convention), Symphony Space, Upstairs at Sardi's with the Joe Traina Quintet (tribute shows to Arlen, Van Heusen and Gershwin), Hotel Pierre (tribute show to Kander and Ebb) in LA at the Gardenia, Luna Lounge and MBar, in Chicago at The Tambourine Room and last summer she made her German cabaret debut in Munich at Roy's.
Rosemary's Broadway debut, "You Can't Take It With You" starring Jason Robards and Colleen Dewhurst, provided her a perfect introduction to theatrical comedy. Her first Broadway show was followed by National Tours of "Godspell" and "42nd Street", "Encore", the celebratory tribute to Radio City Music Hall, and a spot on an HBO television special starring Mary Martin and Ethel Merman. Subsequent Broadway shows include "CATS" (critically acclaimed for the role of Grizabella), "Chess" , "Sunset Boulevard" with Glenn Close, and the hit revival of "Once Upon A Mattress" starring Sarah Jessica Parker. She was awarded a Phoebe Award for her portrayal of Ivy Rowe in the original musical, "Fair And Tender Ladies". Rosemary also created the role of Gladys Fritts in the off-Broadway musical, "Radio Gals". She was featured in the Drama Desk nominated ensemble piece "The Audience". Most recently Ms. Loar played Grandma Who in the national tour or "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas". She was featured in the indie film "The Query" and Dorothy Parker film "The Sexes." Rosemary can be heard on the cast albums of "Chess", "Sunset Boulevard", "Once Upon A Mattress", and of the movie, "The Emperor's New Groove".
Rosemary is also no stranger to the concert stage. She was the featured vocalist for the PBS-TV production, "New Year's Eve With Guy Lombardo", which was a staple of the winter holiday season for 4 years. She performed at Town Hall with Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion" and at Carnegie Hall (concert version of the Broadway show "Chess"). She was a featured soloist for the prestigious "Lyrics and Lyricist series at the New York City 92nd Street YMCA. Ms Loar has sung with the North Carolina, Orlando, Nelson Riddle and Peter Duchin Orchestras. Internationally she performed "The Andrew Lloyd Webber Tribute: in Sardina, Italy and Berlin, Germany. Rosemary is also a rock/pop composer and has released 4 CD's of her original music on the Atlor Music label. For more info go to www.rosemaryloar.com $10- $20


6/7 7:00PM Yvonne Constant "Paris In The 60's and 70's" "A continuation of Yvonne's portrayal of the popular music of France - now reaching the '70's!" $20

6/8 7:00PM Rosemary Loar Rosemary Loar has reinvented the music of Sting, one of the pop world's iconic songwriters. With wit and sensitivity, Loar advances the view that Sting is the Cole Porter of this generation, a man who is not afraid to write lyrics that are intelligent, or that are simple, profound and universal. The glorious result: a whole new songbook of jazz Sting-standards. Loar breathes new life into the music of Sting with inventive interpretations of such classics as "Fields of Gold" and "Message In A Bottle". The music ranges from swing to samba and jazz/pop to crooning torch Rosemary Loar fell in love with jazz the first time she heard BillieHoliday sing on a scratchy old 78 LP. And sing jazz is what she did when she first came to New York, working in many of New York's legendary downtown jazz spots. But Broadway beckoned. Now, five Broadway shows, four national tours and numerous regional productions later, Rosemary returns to her first love. To celebrate her return she released her debut jazz/cabaret CD, "The Quando Swing " in December 2008.
Ms. Loar has been a cabaret artist for over 20 years. She has sung in New York City at Birdland, The Iridium, The Metropolitan Room, The Laurie Beechman Theater, Town Hall (as part of the Cabaret Convention), Symphony Space, Upstairs at Sardi's with the Joe Traina Quintet (tribute shows to Arlen, Van Heusen and Gershwin), Hotel Pierre (tribute show to Kander and Ebb) in LA at the Gardenia, Luna Lounge and MBar, in Chicago at The Tambourine Room and last summer she made her German cabaret debut in Munich at Roy's.
Rosemary's Broadway debut, "You Can't Take It With You" starring Jason Robards and Colleen Dewhurst, provided her a perfect introduction to theatrical comedy. Her first Broadway show was followed by National Tours of "Godspell" and "42nd Street", "Encore", the celebratory tribute to Radio City Music Hall, and a spot on an HBO television special starring Mary Martin and Ethel Merman. Subsequent Broadway shows include "CATS" (critically acclaimed for the role of Grizabella), "Chess" , "Sunset Boulevard" with Glenn Close, and the hit revival of "Once Upon A Mattress" starring Sarah Jessica Parker. She was awarded a Phoebe Award for her portrayal of Ivy Rowe in the original musical, "Fair And Tender Ladies". Rosemary also created the role of Gladys Fritts in the off-Broadway musical, "Radio Gals". She was featured in the Drama Desk nominated ensemble piece "The Audience". Most recently Ms. Loar played Grandma Who in the national tour or "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas". She was featured in the indie film "The Query" and Dorothy Parker film "The Sexes." Rosemary can be heard on the cast albums of "Chess", "Sunset Boulevard", "Once Upon A Mattress", and of the movie, "The Emperor's New Groove".
Rosemary is also no stranger to the concert stage. She was the featured vocalist for the PBS-TV production, "New Year's Eve With Guy Lombardo", which was a staple of the winter holiday season for 4 years. She performed at Town Hall with Garrison Keillor's "Prairie Home Companion" and at Carnegie Hall (concert version of the Broadway show "Chess"). She was a featured soloist for the prestigious "Lyrics and Lyricist series at the New York City 92nd Street YMCA. Ms Loar has sung with the North Carolina, Orlando, Nelson Riddle and Peter Duchin Orchestras. Internationally she performed "The Andrew Lloyd Webber Tribute: in Sardina, Italy and Berlin, Germany. Rosemary is also a rock/pop composer and has released 4 CD's of her original music on the Atlor Music label. For more info go to www.rosemaryloar.com $10- $20
9:30PM Annie Ross JAZZ LEGEND ANNIE ROSS EVERY TUESDAY AT 9:30! "Ms. Ross is a master class in how to sing jazz inside out, upside and down......Her sense of time and rhythm will fracture you...." -Rex Reed.

Annie Ross has been an abundant contributor to the art of jazz for over 50 years. Born in the UK, she has been a permanent resident of the USA for many years and a US citizen since 2001. The following are some highlights of what has been a long and illustrious career in jazz: Annie Ross is one of the pioneers of vocalese and the composer of "Twisted", one of the most well known examples of that art, as well as "Farmers Market", quot;Jackie" and many others. A founding member of Lambert, Hendricks and Ross, considered the greatest jazz vocal ensemble of all time, her influence is present in all subsequent practitioners of vocalese. "Twisted" has been recorded by a host of vocalists, including some not normally associated with jazz, including Joni Mitchell and Bette Midler.

Annie Ross toured in the 50's with the extraordinary Lionel Hampton band that included Art Farmer, Clifford Brown, Gigi Gryce, and Quincy Jones. Ms. Ross has recorded with James Moody, Kenny Clarke, Milt Jackson, Harry Sweets Edison, the Count Basie band, Louis Armstrong, Gerry Mulligan, Art Farmer, Chet Baker and many more. In this variety of settings, she became known as a great jazz singer, masterful at ballads and up tempos, with the ability to swing hard, improvise and make every lyric meaningful and revealing. As a child, Annie Ross entered a talent show on the radio accompanied by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, which resulted an a six-month contract with MGM. She went to Hollywood at age eight where she appeared in "The Little Rascals" singing a jazz version of "Loch Lomond." At age eleven she appeared as Judy Garland's sister in "Presenting Lily Mars." At age 14 she composed the song "Let's Fly", which was subsequently recorded by Johnny Mercer and Jo Stafford. In Paris in the late 40's, she met up with musicians involved in modern jazz, including James Moody, Kenny Clarke, Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, Billy Strayhorn, and displayed an unerring ear and savvy sense of harmony, which was much appreciated. At 19, she recorded "Le Vent Vert" with Moody. Back in the U.S. at age 21 she recorded for Savoy, along with Clarke, Milt Jackson and Percy Heath. She worked on 52nd St. with Max Roach, Tommy Potter and George Wallington and subbed for Billie Holiday at the Apollo Theater. The original recordings of "Twisted" and "Farmer's Market" were done in 1952 with Wallington on piano and Art Blakey on drums. Annie Ross has continued to bring the essence of jazz to a broad spectrum of listeners internationally, by touring, through her recordings, conducting workshops, writing, and appearances in film, television and radio. Currently, Annie Ross is living in New York and is still active as a jazz performer, having recently performed in New York, Scotland, and Spain as well as having recorded a new CD, Let Me Sing. $25

6/9 7:30PM Linda Purl Purl moves between jazz standards and Broadway tunes seamlessly weaving anactor's story of survival as she goes. "An act that literally takes your breath away...she has an impressive range, perfect intonation, and awesome phrasing. In a tired landscape of cabaret yawns, she is one solid hour of seamless enchantment. Serendipitously discovering this kind of beauty and talent in a smoky room in Greenwich Village is like seeing a unicorn in asubway." REX REED $25


6/10 7:30PM Adele Zane ??Present day jazz singers are in an enviable position. They have the superbly crafted songs of what has come to be called The Great American Songbook -- the time-honored classics from the past century that make up the meat of the jazz vocal repertoire -- to draw upon. In addition, they now have decades of popular songs from the rock era onward to work with. Yet few gifted vocalists allow themselves the freedom to interpret worthy material that may have originated from the writing team of, say, Jagger and Richards rather than Rodgers and Hart. Thankfully, Adele Zane is among the farsighted vocal artists who proudly revel in diversity. On her third album, A Stranger In Town, Zane has indeed found room for songbook classics as well as classic rock reworkings; pop songs both vintage and contemporary, and even a smartly shaped original tune that fits snugly into the mix. Working hand-in-glove with guitarist and arranger Andrew Green and a team of sympathetic musical collaborators, Zane uses her honed talents as a skillful interpreter to add expressive and unexpected dimensions to music she loves. "I listen to everything, from Indian and Middle Eastern music to pop, country and rock," says Zane. "Older songs are great and I love to sing them, but I also want to investigate what I consider the "new standards" that have surfaced in the past fifty years."

A Stranger In Town announces its intentions from the start with Zane's lovely take on a truly unexpected song, "That's The Way" -- a gentle highlight from the third Led Zeppelin album, -- which comes complete with an imaginative Eastern-flavored arrangement spiced by Green's evocative guitar work and Todd Isler's exotic percussion accents. And the eclectic fun is just beginning. Grand monuments of song are well represented: "It Never Entered My Mind" and "Where Or When," courtesy of Rodgers and Hart; the classic broken-hearted lullabies, "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning" and "Darn That Dream"; and Mel Torme's "A Stranger In Town." But even the sturdiest standards are given fresh interpretations that make the most of Zane's vocal inventiveness and Green's far-reaching guitar styling, as in their intimate voice and guitar duets on "It Never Entered My Mind," "Where or When," and "In the Wee Small Hours." The singer's confident subtlety, blending with the guitarist's use of sensitively atmospheric textures, breathes new life into familiar songs. Just as welcome, if more unlikely, are highly personal adaptations of the Rolling Stones ballad, "Ruby Tuesday"; "In the Darkest Place," a highlight of the 1998 collaboration between Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello; and "Because of Toledo," a searing song from the Scottish band, The Blue Nile, as well as an added wild card, the 1956 pop hit, "Two Different Worlds." Zane also contributes her own "Girl At the Bar," a tale of cheerful dissipation.

Born in Brazil and raised in San Francisco, Zane attended San Francisco State University's Voice Performance program. A popular Bay Area vocalist, she performed at such lauded nightspots as Fanny's, The Plush Room, and Trinity Place. Relocating to New York in the early 90's, Zane studied with the legendary singer Jackie Paris and others, while also appearing at Danny's Skylight Room, CBGB's and The Bitter End. She has since added Birdland, the Iridium and the Cutting Room to her performance CV. Zane's debut CD, Each Time featuring two original compositions co-written with pianist and composer Frank Ponzio was released in 2000. So Blue, her second CD, was released in 2005. Zane continues her quest to celebrate the noteworthy songs of both bygone and recent eras. That is, as long as they harbor an innate resonance for her. "A song -- no matter what it is -- has to speak to me. I won't sing it unless I feel an emotional connection to it."
$15

9:45PM Linda Purl Purl moves between jazz standards and Broadway tunes seamlessly weaving anactor's story of survival as she goes. "An act that literally takes your breath away...she has an impressive range, perfect intonation, and awesome phrasing. In a tired landscape of cabaret yawns, she is one solid hour of seamless enchantment. Serendipitously discovering this kind of beauty and talent in a smoky room in Greenwich Village is like seeing a unicorn in asubway." REX REED $25

 

6/11 7:30PM Metropolitan Room Staff Spectacular! Come join the talented staff iof The Metropolitan Room as they raise money for Help Is On The Way Today. Featuring Tom Gamblin, Lorinda Lisitza, Erin Smith, Julia Cook, Brad Wills, Darren Cardosa, Elizabeth McKendry, Marla Green, Tanya Holt and Eddie Jacques. $15

9:45PM Janet Planet Janet Planet sings from her cosmic repertoire of 20th century lyricists - from Dylan to Dearie...Porter to Jobim. Her powerful, honest delivery reveals new meaning and reignites material that's as poignant today as ever.

The spirited and vivacious Janet Planet is a productive recording artist, performer, teacher and clinician - her concert schedule takes her to performance halls, universities, jazz festivals and clubs across the USA and internationally. The release of her most recent album, "Of Thee I Sing," has garnered international attention, airplay and unanimous praise from critics, fans and musicians alike.

With 23 recordings in her discography to date, Janet's repertoire is unparalleled. She has the ability to hold an audience in the palm of her hand, whether she's just above a whisper or belting the blues.

Ms. Planet co-founded Stellar Sound Productions in 1995, a recording label that has consistently earned praise from reviewers for both exceptional artistic content and high production values. Stellar recording artists include, jazz singer/piano duo, Nancy King and Steve Christofferson; Cellist, Matt Turner; pianist/composer, John Harmon; and guitarist Gene Bertoncini. Active in all aspects of the recording business, she owns and operates Steel Moon Recording Studio with her husband, saxophonist/composer, Tom Washatka.

Praise for Janet Planet and "Of Thee I Sing":

"Planet defies expectation...such an exemplary artiste that anything she graces with her vocal chords benefits." - Cadence Magazine

"The venerable Planet carves a jaunty path from east to west. Long-familiar destinations sound fresh and new...delightful." - JazzTimes

"The effervescent and supremely talented Ms. Planet can stylishly sing anything." - Isobel Neuberger, Rochester Public Radio

"Planet's ‘Of Thee I Sing' is a very hip trip." - Tritone Times

"Janet's exquisite interpretations bring new life to treasures that long to be heard." - Gene Bertoncini

"The voice of the New Jazz Culture... amazingly powerful, with seemingly limitless expression." - Jazziz Magazine

$20

6/12 7:00PM Marcus Simeone Since his sensational cabaret debut in January of 2000, Marcus hasemerged as one of the most celebrated singers to grace the stages of Manhattan's nightclubs since the days of Streisand and the Bon Soir. Universally regarded for his heart-wrenching interpretations of ballads, red-hot jazz sensibility, and powerful pop flair, Simeone's musical genius is in evidence on his original material as well. Earlier in his career, this native of Brooklyn appeared on the original Star Search as well as Showtime at The Apollo.
Both a singer and a songwriter, Marcus has been performing in NYC metropolitan area bands, with orchestras on both U.S. coasts, and as a solo act, for the past 16 years. His haunting, multi-octave voice has been compared to many greats, including Al Jarreau, Marc Anthony, and Johnny Mathis. Simeone cites among his greatest inspirations Jane Olivor and Phyllis Hyman.

After having staged nearly a dozen distinct shows, Marcus has received multiple awards from the Manhattan Association of Cabarets & Clubs and Back Stage among his many accolades. He has also been invited toperf orm at the annual Mabel Mercer Cabaret Convention, representing today's scene, numerous times.

Simeone's eagerly awaited second live CD, Everything Must Change was released in April of 2010. The album showcases the various musical styles he has perfected including a demanding song list that includes R & B/Pop tunes as diverse as "Many Rivers To Cross," "A Change Is Gonna Come" and "Everything Must Change." His voice soars with ease

through some classic and rarely heard tunes that also includes "Since You Stayed Here" and "There'll Be Some Changes Made Today." All the electricity that sparked his most exciting show to date has been captured on the new live album. Musical director Barry Levitt heads the trio.

Miranda Music also announces the release of his first official studio recording in the fall of 2010.


9:45PM Linda Purl Purl moves between jazz standards and Broadway tunes seamlessly weaving anactor's story of survival as she goes. "An act that literally takes your breath away...she has an impressive range, perfect intonation, and awesome phrasing. In a tired landscape of cabaret yawns, she is one solid hour of seamless enchantment. Serendipitously discovering this kind of beauty and talent in a smoky room in Greenwich Village is like seeing a unicorn in asubway." REX REED $25

11:00PM Piano Bar @ The Metropolitan Room

6/13 7:00PM + 9:00PM The Mark Murphy / Vinny Valentino Duo One of the most original and gifted jazz vocalists, six-time Grammy(r) Award-nominee Mark Murphy transforms everything he touches into a vehicle for daring and provocative improvisation. Murphy is backed by the incomparable guitarist Vinny Valentino, whose refined sense of swing, harmony and balladry complements and enhances Murphy's improvisation and style.

6/14 7:00PM Patti Wicks Patti Wicks frequents the New York City jazz and East Coast jazz circuit from Maine to Florida. Her trio has featured a variety of musicians including bassists Sam Jones, Richard Davis, Brian Torff and Mark Dresser, and drummers Curtis Boyd, Louis Hayes, Mickey Roker and Alan Dawson. In addition to her work as a leader, Wicks played with veteran jazz musicians Flip Phillips, Clark Terry, Cecil Payne, Frank Morgan, Ira Sullivan, Pete Minger, Richie Cole, Larry Coryell and Turk Mauro. She has also accompanied jazz vocalists Anita O'Day, Sheila Jordan, Carol Sloane, Rebecca Parris, Roseanna Vitro and Giacomo Gates. Throughout her career Patti has also been actively involved in jazz education teaching jazz piano at the college level, as well as working as a private vocal coach and jazz piano instructor. In 1997 Patti Wicks released her first CD, co-produced by bassist Don Payne on his Recycled Notes label. "Room At The Top: The Patti Wicks Trio" received strong reviews and national airplay. In reviewing "Room At The Top" for National Public Radio's "Jazz Riffs", critic Joel E. Siegel observed, "The album establishes [Wicks] as a world class singer/pianist in the tradition of Nat Cole, Jeri Southern and Shirley Horn." In 1999, Wicks recorded the commercial for Wyndham International Hotels and Resorts, playing and singing "They Can't Take That Away From Me". It was aired for two years on television and radio stations worldwide.
With the release of her latest CD project in 2003, "Love Locked Out" on the MAXJAZZ label, Wicks has finally moved out onto the international jazz stage. Produced by Joel E. Siegel and featuring bassist Keter Betts and drummer Joe LaBarbera, "Love Locked Out" is a gripping all-ballad album in the tradition of Carmen McRae's "Bittersweet" and Irene Kral's "Where Is Love?". The CD received rave reviews in JazzTimes, Cadence Magazine, All About Jazz, Jazz Review and the All Music Guide. In reviewing the album for the Washington Post, jazz critic Mike Joyce observed, "If you were to listen...closely--very closely--in search of a shrill note or a needlessly ornamental vocal embellishment, or search even further for an emotionally shallow interpretation or a run-of the-mill lyric, you'd come up empty-handed every time."
Since the release of "Love Locked Out," Wicks has performed at major international jazz clubs from the Blue Note in Milan to Blues Alley in Washington, D.C. She also played at several jazz festivals including the Cape May Jazz Festival, the Anguilla Jazz Festival in the British West Indies, Syracuse Festival: Jazz In The Square, and in Italy, at the Livorno Jazz Festival and La Spezia Jazz Festival. In October 2003 jazz legend Marian McPartland invited Patti to be her guest on National Public Radio's award-winning series "Piano Jazz". Patti returned to Italy in July and December, 2004 with concerts in Florence, Saluzzo, Rome and Genoa. A new CD, produced by Massimo Visentin on the Jazz Guests label, was recorded in July. "Basic Feeling" features Patti and Claudio Chiara on alto sax, as part of the JazzMates Quartet, with bassist Giovanni Sanguineti and drummer Giovanni Gullino. Distributed by EGEA Records, the CD was released in Italy on January 10, 2005, with release in the UK scheduled for spring of 2005.
"Patti Wicks is the artist responsible for the extraordinary Basic Feeling, her "Italian" album, currently being distributed by EGEA Records. The record is a real gem that deserves a wide audience and should appeal to everyone, not just jazz connoisseurs."
-- Fabio Francione, IL CITTADINO
In December, 2006, her newest, critically acclaimed CD, Italian Sessions, was released on the Italian label SFR. The CD, recorded at the end of their 2005 tour, again features Patti's Italian rhythm section, this time with special guest, Gianni Basso, Italy's legendary jazz tenor saxophonist.
"Italian Sessions reprises Patti's Italian venture, recorded this time in 2005....The
instrumental solos here, especially from Patti and Gianni [Basso], are exceptional and the singing exemplary throughout, as indeed it always is."
-- Bruce Crowther


9:30PM Linda Purl Purl moves between jazz standards and Broadway tunes seamlessly weaving anactor's story of survival as she goes. "An act that literally takes your breath away...she has an impressive range, perfect intonation, and awesome phrasing. In a tired landscape of cabaret yawns, she is one solid hour of seamless enchantment. Serendipitously discovering this kind of beauty and talent in a smoky room in Greenwich Village is like seeing a unicorn in asubway." REX REED $25


6/15 9:30PM Annie Ross $25

 

6/16 7:30PM Ladies' Night A Benefit For Help Is On The Way Today, a non-profit organization that assists children with HIV and AIDS. "Ladies Night" is an evening of song with Kimberly Reid Dunbar, Jene Hernandez and Ilene Kristen of ABC's One Life to Live hosted by Doreen Montalvo of Broadway's In The Heights. $20

9:45PM Allan Harris Winner of three New York Nightlife Awards, Allan Harris has won praise from both critics and audiences worldwide for his amazing ability to touch and inspire people with his "smooth as velvet voice" and powerful stage presence. He has released nine international CDs within the past ten years, written, produced and starred in a new musical and toured in over twelve countries. "Unafraid to take risks, songwriter Harris proves he has the talent to meld American musical styles-blues, folk, country, jazz, gospel, and rock-into a cohesive score." The New York Times writes..."Mr. Harris is a supremely relaxed and tasteful crooner in the Nat King Cole tradition." Harris stretches far beyond the jazz crooner's province to the hemline of American jazz and vernacular music. $20 / $15 With Reservation


6/17 7:30PM Tim Howe and The Solid Citizens New York's favorite folk/rock band is back. They knocked ‘em dead back on January 21 at The Metropolitan Room and now The Solid Citizens are bringing it back, and then some, for a great Saturday evening show. A lot of new stuff this time but count on their classics like "Liquor Box", "Way Too Old", "More than Friends" and "Here for the Party", as well as a few soulful covers. Great music. A fun party. $25

9:45PM Patti Wicks Patti Wicks frequents the New York City jazz and East Coast jazz circuit from Maine to Florida. Her trio has featured a variety of musicians including bassists Sam Jones, Richard Davis, Brian Torff and Mark Dresser, and drummers Curtis Boyd, Louis Hayes, Mickey Roker and Alan Dawson. In addition to her work as a leader, Wicks played with veteran jazz musicians Flip Phillips, Clark Terry, Cecil Payne, Frank Morgan, Ira Sullivan, Pete Minger, Richie Cole, Larry Coryell and Turk Mauro. She has also accompanied jazz vocalists Anita O'Day, Sheila Jordan, Carol Sloane, Rebecca Parris, Roseanna Vitro and Giacomo Gates. Throughout her career Patti has also been actively involved in jazz education teaching jazz piano at the college level, as well as working as a private vocal coach and jazz piano instructor. In 1997 Patti Wicks released her first CD, co-produced by bassist Don Payne on his Recycled Notes label. "Room At The Top: The Patti Wicks Trio" received strong reviews and national airplay. In reviewing "Room At The Top" for National Public Radio's "Jazz Riffs", critic Joel E. Siegel observed, "The album establishes [Wicks] as a world class singer/pianist in the tradition of Nat Cole, Jeri Southern and Shirley Horn." In 1999, Wicks recorded the commercial for Wyndham International Hotels and Resorts, playing and singing "They Can't Take That Away From Me". It was aired for two years on television and radio stations worldwide.
With the release of her latest CD project in 2003, "Love Locked Out" on the MAXJAZZ label, Wicks has finally moved out onto the international jazz stage. Produced by Joel E. Siegel and featuring bassist Keter Betts and drummer Joe LaBarbera, "Love Locked Out" is a gripping all-ballad album in the tradition of Carmen McRae's "Bittersweet" and Irene Kral's "Where Is Love?". The CD received rave reviews in JazzTimes, Cadence Magazine, All About Jazz, Jazz Review and the All Music Guide. In reviewing the album for the Washington Post, jazz critic Mike Joyce observed, "If you were to listen...closely--very closely--in search of a shrill note or a needlessly ornamental vocal embellishment, or search even further for an emotionally shallow interpretation or a run-of the-mill lyric, you'd come up empty-handed every time." Since the release of "Love Locked Out," Wicks has performed at major international jazz clubs from the Blue Note in Milan to Blues Alley in Washington, D.C. She also played at several jazz festivals including the Cape May Jazz Festival, the Anguilla Jazz Festival in the British West Indies, Syracuse Festival: Jazz In The Square, and in Italy, at the Livorno Jazz Festival and La Spezia Jazz Festival. In October 2003 jazz legend Marian McPartland invited Patti to be her guest on National Public Radio's award-winning series "Piano Jazz". Patti returned to Italy in July and December, 2004 with concerts in Florence, Saluzzo, Rome and Genoa. A new CD, produced by Massimo Visentin on the Jazz Guests label, was recorded in July. "Basic Feeling" features Patti and Claudio Chiara on alto sax, as part of the JazzMates Quartet, with bassist Giovanni Sanguineti and drummer Giovanni Gullino. Distributed by EGEA Records, the CD was released in Italy on January 10, 2005, with release in the UK scheduled for spring of 2005. "Patti Wicks is the artist responsible for the extraordinary Basic Feeling, her "Italian" album, currently being distributed by EGEA Records. The record is a real gem that deserves a wi audience and should appeal to everyone, not just jazz connoisseurs." -- Fabio Francione, IL CITTADINO In December, 2006, her newest, critically acclaimed CD, Italian Sessions, was released on the Italian label SFR. The CD, recorded at the end of their 2005 tour, again features Patti's Italian rhythm section, this time with special guest, Gianni Basso, Italy's legendary jazz tenor saxophonist. $20


6/18 7:30PM Patti Wicks Patti Wicks frequents the New York City jazz and East Coast jazz circuit from Maine to Florida. Her trio has featured a variety of musicians including bassists Sam Jones, Richard Davis, Brian Torff and Mark Dresser, and drummers Curtis Boyd, Louis Hayes, Mickey Roker and Alan Dawson. In addition to her work as a leader, Wicks played with veteran jazz musicians Flip Phillips, Clark Terry, Cecil Payne, Frank Morgan, Ira Sullivan, Pete Minger, Richie Cole, Larry Coryell and Turk Mauro. She has also accompanied jazz vocalists Anita O'Day, Sheila Jordan, Carol Sloane, Rebecca Parris, Roseanna Vitro and Giacomo Gates. Throughout her career Patti has also been actively involved in jazz education teaching jazz piano at the college level, as well as working as a private vocal coach and jazz piano instructor. In 1997 Patti Wicks released her first CD, co-produced by bassist Don Payne on his Recycled Notes label. "Room At The Top: The Patti Wicks Trio" received strong reviews and national airplay. In reviewing "Room At The Top" for National Public Radio's "Jazz Riffs", critic Joel E. Siegel observed, "The album establishes [Wicks] as a world class singer/pianist in the tradition of Nat Cole, Jeri Southern and Shirley Horn." In 1999, Wicks recorded the commercial for Wyndham International Hotels and Resorts, playing and singing "They Can't Take That Away From Me". It was aired for two years on television and radio stations worldwide.

With the release of her latest CD project in 2003, "Love Locked Out" on the MAXJAZZ label, Wicks has finally moved out onto the international jazz stage. Produced by Joel E. Siegel and featuring bassist Keter Betts and drummer Joe LaBarbera, "Love Locked Out" is a gripping all-ballad album in the tradition of Carmen McRae's "Bittersweet" and Irene Kral's "Where Is Love?". The CD received rave reviews in JazzTimes, Cadence Magazine, All About Jazz, Jazz Review and the All Music Guide. In reviewing the album for the Washington Post, jazz critic Mike Joyce observed, "If you were to listen...closely--very closely--in search of a shrill note or a needlessly ornamental vocal embellishment, or search even further for an emotionally shallow interpretation or a run-of the-mill lyric, you'd come up empty-handed every time."
Since the release of "Love Locked Out," Wicks has performed at major international jazz clubs from the Blue Note in Milan to Blues Alley in Washington, D.C. She also played at several jazz festivals including the Cape May Jazz Festival, the Anguilla Jazz Festival in the British West Indies, Syracuse Festival: Jazz In The Square, and in Italy, at the Livorno Jazz Festival and La Spezia Jazz Festival. In October 2003 jazz legend Marian McPartland invited Patti to be her guest on National Public Radio's award-winning series "Piano Jazz". Patti returned to Italy in July and December, 2004 with concerts in Florence, Saluzzo, Rome and Genoa. A new CD, produced by Massimo Visentin on the Jazz Guests label, was recorded in July. "Basic Feeling" features Patti and Claudio Chiara on alto sax, as part of the JazzMates Quartet, with bassist Giovanni Sanguineti and drummer Giovanni Gullino. Distributed by EGEA Records, the CD was released in Italy on January 10, 2005, with release in the UK scheduled for spring of 2005.
"Patti Wicks is the artist responsible for the extraordinary Basic Feeling, her "Italian" album, currently being distributed by EGEA Records. The record is a real gem that deserves a wi audience and should appeal to everyone, not just jazz connoisseurs." -- Fabio Francione, IL CITTADINO
In December, 2006, her newest, critically acclaimed CD, Italian Sessions, was released on the Italian label SFR. The CD, recorded at the end of their 2005 tour, again features Patti's Italian rhythm section, this time with special guest, Gianni Basso, Italy's legendary jazz tenor saxophonist. $20

 

6/19 5:00PM Laurie Vega Join Laurie Vega for a night of Summer on Saturday June 19, 2010 at 5pm. Breeze into the warmth of June with smooth jazz, R&B, soul, salsa. The night will sooth your senses and make you fall in love with Summer. $15

7:30PM Cassandra Kubinski "Cassandra Kubinski is a rarity...very similar to thelegendary solo artists of the early to mid 1970's...she proves that the genre[singer/songwriter] is not only alive and well, but that it is still capable ofbeing transcendent." - Billy Joel Don't miss NYC's fastest rising singer/songwriter, Cassandra Kubinski. Cassandra's dramatic, sensual, and personalsongs intoxicate audiences with a cocktail blended from fantasy, honesty, real life, romance, travel, andwistful thinking. Now celebrating the release of her third album, "LIVE AT CAMP NASHVILLE " $15

9:45PM Q-Talk Q-Talk the hit Gay Talk Show Returns for its monthly stint at the
Metropolitan Room. Hosted by Frantz Hall,Stacey Todd Holt,Joseph John and Angie McKnight.
Q-talk has been compared to a gayer version of the View. With Table Talk, Hot Monthly Topics ranging from everything to Aging In The Gay Community, Open Relationships,Gay Marriage,Prop 8,and "DOES SIZE MATTER", as well as fabulous performers from cabaret,and Broadway. $5.00

11:00PM Piano Bar @ The Metropolitan Room

6/20 9:30PM Patti Wicks Patti Wicks frequents the New York City jazz and East Coast jazz circuit from Maine to Florida. Her trio has featured a variety of musicians including bassists Sam Jones, Richard Davis, Brian Torff and Mark Dresser, and drummers Curtis Boyd, Louis Hayes, Mickey Roker and Alan Dawson. In addition to her work as a leader, Wicks played with veteran jazz musicians Flip Phillips, Clark Terry, Cecil Payne, Frank Morgan, Ira Sullivan, Pete Minger, Richie Cole, Larry Coryell and Turk Mauro. She has also accompanied jazz vocalists Anita O'Day, Sheila Jordan, Carol Sloane, Rebecca Parris, Roseanna Vitro and Giacomo Gates. Throughout her career Patti has also been actively involved in jazz education teaching jazz piano at the college level, as well as working as a private vocal coach and jazz piano instructor. In 1997 Patti Wicks released her first CD, co-produced by bassist Don Payne on his Recycled Notes label. "Room At The Top: The Patti Wicks Trio" received strong reviews and national airplay. In reviewing "Room At The Top" for National Public Radio's "Jazz Riffs", critic Joel E. Siegel observed, "The album establishes [Wicks] as a world class singer/pianist in the tradition of Nat Cole, Jeri Southern and Shirley Horn." In 1999, Wicks recorded the commercial for Wyndham International Hotels and Resorts, playing and singing "They Can't Take That Away From Me". It was aired for two years on television and radio stations worldwide.

With the release of her latest CD project in 2003, "Love Locked Out" on the MAXJAZZ label, Wicks has finally moved out onto the international jazz stage. Produced by Joel E. Siegel and featuring bassist Keter Betts and drummer Joe LaBarbera, "Love Locked Out" is a gripping all-ballad album in the tradition of Carmen McRae's "Bittersweet" and Irene Kral's "Where Is Love?". The CD received rave reviews in JazzTimes, Cadence Magazine, All About Jazz, Jazz Review and the All Music Guide. In reviewing the album for the Washington Post, jazz critic Mike Joyce observed, "If you were to listen...closely--very closely--in search of a shrill note or a needlessly ornamental vocal embellishment, or search even further for an emotionally shallow interpretation or a run-of the-mill lyric, you'd come up empty-handed every time."
Since the release of "Love Locked Out," Wicks has performed at major international jazz clubs from the Blue Note in Milan to Blues Alley in Washington, D.C. She also played at several jazz festivals including the Cape May Jazz Festival, the Anguilla Jazz Festival in the British West Indies, Syracuse Festival: Jazz In The Square, and in Italy, at the Livorno Jazz Festival and La Spezia Jazz Festival. In October 2003 jazz legend Marian McPartland invited Patti to be her guest on National Public Radio's award-winning series "Piano Jazz". Patti returned to Italy in July and December, 2004 with concerts in Florence, Saluzzo, Rome and Genoa. A new CD, produced by Massimo Visentin on the Jazz Guests label, was recorded in July. "Basic Feeling" features Patti and Claudio Chiara on alto sax, as part of the JazzMates Quartet, with bassist Giovanni Sanguineti and drummer Giovanni Gullino. Distributed by EGEA Records, the CD was released in Italy on January 10, 2005, with release in the UK scheduled for spring of 2005.
"Patti Wicks is the artist responsible for the extraordinary Basic Feeling, her "Italian" album, currently being distributed by EGEA Records. The record is a real gem that deserves a wi audience and should appeal to everyone, not just jazz connoisseurs." -- Fabio Francione, IL CITTADINO
In December, 2006, her newest, critically acclaimed CD, Italian Sessions, was released on the Italian label SFR. The CD, recorded at the end of their 2005 tour, again features Patti's Italian rhythm section, this time with special guest, Gianni Basso, Italy's legendary jazz tenor saxophonist. $20


6/21 7:00PM Darren Williams BACK FROM HIS TOUR OF JAPAN AND READY TO KICK OFF HIS USA TOUR RIGHT HERE AT THE METROPOLITAN ROOM AUSTRALIAN VARIETY ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR recipient Darren Williams returns to the Metropolitan Room, celebrating the life and music of the man who inspired THE BOY FROM OZ musical. From ARTHUR'S THEME to I HONESTLY LOVE YOU, DON'T CRY OUT LOUD to I GO TO RIO, Darren explores the songbook of fellow Aussie entertainer PETER ALLEN, but very much in his own award winning style. $20

 

6/22 7:00PM Tammy Grimes She starred in and won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for what The New York Times called her "buoyant" performance as a rough-hewn Colorado social climber" in the 1960 hit, The Unsinkable Molly Brown.

Tammy Grimes was originally chosen to play the part given to Elizabeth Montgomery in the hit television situation comedy Bewitched, but was let out of her contract when Noel Coward asked her to star in High Spitits, a Broadway musical directed by Coward based on his play Blithe Spirit.

In 1966, Grimes starred in her own ABC television series, The Tammy Grimes Show, in which she played a modern-day heiress who loved to spend money.

Returning to the Broadway stage in 1969 after almost a decade of performing in what The New York Times called "dubious delights", Grimes appeared in a revival of Noel Coward's Private Lives as "Amanda", winning the Tony Award for Best Actress. Clive Barnes in The New York Times review called her performance "outrageously appealing. She plays every cheap trick in the histrionic book with supreme aplomb and adorable confidence. Her voice moans, purrs, splutters; she gesticulates with her eyes, almost shouts with her hair. She is all campy, impossible woman, a lovable phony with the hint of tigress about her, so ridiculously artificial that she just has to be for real".

Grimes has entertained at various New York city night clubs and recorded several albums of songs; she also recited poetry as part of a 1968 solo act in the Persian Room of the Plaza Hotel. Her voice can be heard in romantic duets on some of Ben Bagley's anthology albums of Broadway songs under his Painted Smiles record label. In 1982, she hosted the final season of CBS Radio Mystery Theater.

In 2003, Grimes was inducted into the American Theater Hall of Fame.

Join Miss Grimes for an evening of her favorite songs and stories this June at the Metropolitan Room. $30

9:30PM Annie Ross $25

 

6/23 7:30PM Darren Williams BACK FROM HIS TOUR OF JAPAN AND READY TO KICK OFF HIS USA TOUR RIGHT HERE AT THE METROPOLITAN ROOM AUSTRALIAN VARIETY ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR recipient Darren Williams returns to the Metropolitan Room, celebrating the life and music of the man who inspired THE BOY FROM OZ musical. From ARTHUR'S THEME to I HONESTLY LOVE YOU, DON'T CRY OUT LOUD to I GO TO RIO, Darren explores the songbook of fellow Aussie entertainer PETER ALLEN, but very much in his own award winning style. $20

9:45PM Allan Harris Winner of three New York Nightlife Awards, Allan Harris has won praise from both critics and audiences worldwide for his amazing ability to touch and inspire people with his "smooth as velvet voice" and powerful stage presence. He has released nine international CDs within the past ten years, written, produced and starred in a new musical and toured in over twelve countries. "Unafraid to take risks, songwriter Harris proves he has the talent to meld American musical styles-blues, folk, country, jazz, gospel, and rock-into a cohesive score." The New York Times writes..."Mr. Harris is a supremely relaxed and tasteful crooner in the Nat King Cole tradition." Harris stretches far beyond the jazz crooner's province to the hemline of American jazz and vernacular music. $20 / $15 With Reservation

 

6/24 7:30PM Richard Malavet The Billy Eckstine Project, Songs in the Key of "B" , reveals the untold story of one of America's iconic heartthrobs.

Accomplished New York cabaret jazz vocalist, Richard Malavet has been crooning audiences with his silky baritone voice, performing at such notable cabaret venues as Don't Tell Mama's, Eighty Eights, Judy's Chelsea, Danny's Skylight Room Cabaret, Mama Rose's and The Encore.

His 2001 cabaret show, "The Right to Love", featured an eclectic and exciting collection of songs. The show was held over twice and was a hit with audiences and critics alike. "There is a real beauty to his voice and an emotional core to his interpretations", said John Hoglund of Backstage.

Richard's last jazz/cabaret



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