Sterling's Welcomes Back Heartfelt Singer Jeanie Brandes

On Sunday, January 9 @ Sterling's Upstairs @ Vitello's singer Jeanie Brandes made, by popular demand, a return engagement to sing selections from her newest CD Jeanie Brandes ... Kisses You Awake, a heavenly mix of beautiful songs from the Great American Songbook. Accompanied by dynamic musical director Shelly Markham and his musicians Tim Emmons on bass and M.B. Gordy on drums, Brandes with her blessed vocal instrument and loving personality held her intimate audience captive with radiance and warmth. That audience included acclaimed song stylist and friend Andrea Marcovicci and comic actress Cissy Conner, who recently performed @ Sterling's. Brandes' was a lovely, laid-back evening of song.

Highlights included: Cole Porter's "Night and Day", Harold Arlen's "I've Got the World on a String", Rodger's and Hart's gorgeous "Where or When", with Brandes copiously doing justice, Michel Legrand and the Bergmans' "What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life", another glorious arrangement/delivery, and "I've Got You Under My Skin" with Markham singing nicely in duet. There followed a few ballads, two wonderful ones by Henry Mancini, who had a special collaboration with Brandes in her earlier career: "Moon River", and Mancini's favorite - and mine - the stunning "Two For the Road". Other ballads were "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning", Burke and Van Heusen's haunting "Here's That Rainy Day", another favorite sung to perfection by Brandes, and a delicious rendition of "A Day in the Life of a Fool" from Black Orpheus. The 60-minute set concluded richly with Arlen and Johnny Mercer's "One For My Baby" in medley with the melancholy Jule Styne/Betty Comden and Adolph Green hit "The Party's Over".

One former reviewer had stated that "Jeanie Brandes was up there, making love to 10 men", referring to her fine musicianship with a 10 piece orchestra. Well, nothing has diminished with this trio; in fact, Brandes still evokes a carefree quality and ethereal style that ultimately seem effortless. Keep singing, Jeanie, your real world is center stage caressing and sharing your optimistic spirit through these timeless classic tunes.