Review: SPENCER DAY: SONGS FOR A WINTER'S NIGHT at Feinstein's At The Nikko

I go way back with Spencer Day — to his fresh in San Francisco days when he didn’t speak much onstage but expressed himself through his beautiful, sometimes haunting, sometimes comic, always introspective narratives. Back then I compared him to Rufus Wainwright with touches of George Gershwin and I stand by that. Day’s compositions soar with creativity, daring and intelligence. Always a San Francisco favorite son, he’s one of few performers who consistently sells out his much-anticipated Feinstein’s bookings.

This engagement finds Day grateful and a tad reminiscent. Opening with 2013’s “The Mystery of You”, a noir romance story that heralded Day's great flowering period and introduction of smoky noir, Latin jazz and 1960’s surf guitar. His 2012 original Xmas song “If Christmas Doesn’t Kill Me” showcases his fine piano skills and the supporting Bruce Forman Trio.

The set featured his great originals: “Arizona Blues” written for his brother, a few bars of his take on indecisiveness, “California Yes,” and one of his masterworks, “The Movie of Your Life.” Day premiered new compositions, one I’ll call “You Could be Marrying Me,” and an instrumental piece titled “The Suspect” (El Sospechoso).

Quarantined during Covid in Guadalajara, Day nurtured his love of Latin music, supporting himself with government PSA’s, session work, and beer commercials (Mucho Mas). 1939’s “South of the Border Down Mexico Way” has a distinct bolero beat which Day follows with "Solamente una vez", retitled "You Belong to My Heart" for the 1944 Disney film “The Three Caballeros”. “Quizás", a popular song by Cuban songwriter Osvaldo Farrés became the popular hit “Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps” translated to English for Desi Arnaz. It’s a perfect fit for Days romantic crooning vocals.

Day is grateful, evidenced by his original tribute to San Francisco in “Your’e Still Golden to Me,” and his offering of optimistic songs from the Great Depression (“Smile” and 1939’s "We'll Meet Again"). Recently battling every vocalist’s worst nightmare (vocal polyps), Day is recovering and always looking forward to new creative adventures. What’s next for the prolific Spencer Day? I imagine a Tony-winning Broadway score.

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