Cabaret review: Christmas and all that jazz with Debby Lennon and the Carolbeth True Trio

Last December local singer/actress/educator Debby Lennon brought a delightful jazz-inflected holiday show to the Blue Strawberry. The revised version she performed at Jim Dolan’s Central West End club on December 12th featured less of her and more of local jazz legend Carolbeth True’s band, but it was still the same “tasty holiday treat” I enjoyed so much last year.

“I’ll Be Home for Christmas (due to COVID-19 Restrictions)” was performed live and via streaming video, which is how I saw it. Unfortunately, technical issues at the club cut off the first four songs of Ms. Lennon's opening five-song set, so this review is based on what transpired after that. In any case, the show was, once again, an excellent showcase for Ms. Lennon’s flawless, clear vocals and for her on-stage persona, which was as effervescent as a glass of seasonal Champagne. She had clearly won the audience over early in the show and from there on it was smooth sailing.

Debby Lennon

With a heavy emphasis on Great American Songbook tunes, her set list was much the same as last year’s, and it was delivered, once again, with a mix of vocal excellence and compelling sincerity.

Her “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” was a touching elegy for her late mother, and “all the people we miss tonight” gave the lyric’s wish that “someday soon we all will be together” added poignancy. A cheerful dash through the witty lyrical underbrush of  Irving Taylor, Dudley Brooks, and Hal Stanley’s “(Everybody’s Waitin’ for) the Man With the Bag” (first charted by Kay Starr back in 1950) was more fun than a barrel of elves, as was her take on the manic version of "Jingle Bells" Jack Gold and Marty Paich created for Barbara Streisand's 1967 "A Christmas Album.” And her “Santa Baby” was nicely lubricious but with more of a sense of swing than Eartha Kitt’s legendary 1953 original. Credit Ms. True for that, along with the tight contemporary jazz sound of the whole evening.

In fact, the evening was as much a showcase for pianist/arranger Carolbeth True and her band as it was for Ms. Lennon. They had two great solo sets, the first of which combined an upbeat and bluesy take on “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” with a Latin-flavored version of “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.” That level of innovation and creativity could be heard in their longer second set of seasonal tunes towards the end of the evening, which included stylish solos by Glenn Smith on bass and David True on percussion in a celebratory “Feliz Navidad.”

Their work got an enthusiastic reception from both the audience and Ms. Lennon when she took the stage afterwards. “That was fabulous,” she declared joyfully. “I hope it feels as good out there as it does to be up here with these marvelous musicians.” Judging by the applause, I’d say that was a safe bet.

The Debby Lennon/Carolbeth True Christmas show took place at Jim Dolan’s Blue Strawberry Showroom and Lounge, where a mix of jazz, pop, and soul acts continue into the new year. The club is operating under a "COVID careful" arrangement with restricted indoor capacity and other precautions. Many of the shows are also available via live streaming video. Check the web site for details.

This article originally appeared at 88.1 KDHX, where Chuck Lavazzi is the senior performing arts critic.

Review: Celebrating John McDaniel home at the Blue Strawberry

John McDaniel is the prototypical example of the local boy who made good. From his days doing musical theatre at Kirkwood High School in suburban St. Louis, he has gone on to make a major name for himself as a songwriter, arranger, and bandleader on Broadway and television.

For the complete review, visit 88.1 KDHX, where Chuck Lavazzi is the senior performing arts critic.

John McDaniel
Photo courtesy of The Blue Strawberry

He still makes regular visits back to his home town, though, and this year he brought us all a little Christmas gift in the form of a brand new holiday-themed show at the Blue Strawberry showroom.

"A John McDaniel Christmas" was a warm, welcoming celebration of the season. Mr. McDaniel's engaging stage presence and lively life anecdotes knitted a cozy Christmas sweater out of an eclectic set list that ranged from Boy George's "Stranger in This World" (from the 2002 semi-autobiographical musical "Taboo") to the old German carol "Es ist ein Ros entsprungen" (usually translated as "There is a Rose E'er Blooming"), which first appeared in print in 1599. Mr. McDaniel played the latter as a piano solo, and a lovely thing it was, too--a subtle arrangement, but with a bit of swing.

Highlights of the evening included a Jule Styne medley that combined his popular "Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!" (lyrics by Sammy Cahn) with, of all things, the whimsical "The Lord's Bright Blessing" (lyrics by Bob Merrill), from the 1962 animated TV special "Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol". Mr. McDaniel perfectly captured the childlike glee of Tiny Tim's wish for "razzleberry dressing" in the latter. I was also much taken with the opening combination of Billy Joel's "My Life" and Bob James and Kenny Loggins's "Celebrate Me Home." The "leaving home" defiance of the former was a nice contrast with the "welcome me back" nostalgia of the latter, and somewhat echoed the Biblical tale of the prodigal son.

One very powerful number was a medley of Ron Miller and Bryan Wells's "Someday at Christmas" (recorded by Stevie Wonder in 1967) and John Lennon's "Happy Christmas (The War is Over)," which made a heartfelt plea for peace--a courageous choice in today's political climate. Some patter about Christmas shopping led to one of the few non-holiday songs, Larry Grossman and Hal Hackaday's "Mama, a Rainbow," which asks the tough question of "what do you give to the lady who has given / All her life and love to you?" In its original context in the 1970 musical "Minnie's Boys," it's about a birthday present, but it works just as well at Christmastime.

That's not to say there wasn't humor in the show, the best example being Paul Rogers's "Santa Lost a Ho," from the 2002 album "Uncorked" by the Christmas Jug Band. Mr. McDaniel's sly performance made the most of the song's double entendre jokes. Also great fun was "Can You Believe It's Christmastime Again," a McDaniel original written specifically for this show.

Probably the most remarkable part of the evening, though, was the "Request Medley," in which Mr. McDaniel combined song titles shouted out by the audience into a musical mashup on the spot. I've seen him do this before and it never ceases to amaze me. The resulting medley of "We Need a Little Christmas," "White Christmas," "Do You Hear What I Hear," "The Little Drummer Boy," "What Are You Doing New Year's," and (somewhat improbably) "Sunrise, Sunset" were so masterfully assembled that you'd have thought it had all been written down well in advance.

"A John McDaniel Christmas" was, in short, a thoroughly delightful way to wind up the pre-Yuletide week.

Shows continue well into the New Year at The Blue Strawberry, St. Louis's only dedicated bar/restaurant/cabaret showroom. Check their web site for details.

Review: The happiest season of all

The Blue Strawberry Showroom and Lounge unwrapped an early Christmas present for St. Louis audiences last night (December 5) with a jazz-inflected holiday show by local singer/actress/educator Debby Lennon that definitely made the evening (in Irving Berlin's words) "merry and bright."

This article originally appeared at 88.1 KDHX, where Chuck Lavazzi is the senior performing arts critic.

Debby Lennon at the Blue Strawberry

"My Favorite Christmas" combined two dozen seasonal songs from the Great American Songbook and Broadway with a sprinkling of traditional favorites to produce a tasty holiday treat that went down quite well with an enthusiastic audience.

Backed up by a combo of Nick Schlueter on piano, Jeremy Pfeffer on bass, and Joe Weber on drums, Ms. Lennon's flawless voice rang out loud and clear, while her ebullient stage persona (which bears a striking resemblance to her ebullient offstage persona) won the audience over from the very first notes of her opening medley of "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year," We Need a Little Christmas" (from "Mame"), and Irving Berlin's "Happy Holiday" (from "Holiday Inn," where it's actually performed on New Year's Eve).

When she enthusiastically told us a bit later that "Christmas songs make me high," she was just confirming what was surely obvious to everyone: that she was having a great time up there and wanted all of us to be a part of it. You could see that in her happy interactions with the band and in the polished assurance with which she delivered each number, be it comic novelties like "Never Fall in Love (With an Elf)" (a hilarious song from a forgettable musical) or the sentimental 1970 Carpenters classic "Merry Christmas, Darling," dedicated to her husband.

Stringing this all together were personal reflections on Ms. Lennon's own Ghosts of Christmases Past that went deep enough to provide context without ever descending into the "this is my life" school of cabaret that erroneously assumes everyone else finds the intimate details of your biography as interesting as you do.

So, for example, her comments about past dating failures were just detailed enough to provide background for the "Elf" song without slopping over into "too much information" territory, and her thoughts about spending the holidays without loved ones who have moved on to the Grey Havens told us just enough to set up the medley of what she called "sad Christmas ballads": "I'll Be Home for Christmas" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."

Debby Lennon at the Blue Strawberry

True to the show's jazz roots, the band was featured prominently. That included a purely instrumental medley of "O Christmas Tree" and "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" during which Ms. Lennon retired to the sidelines and turned the stage over to them. The medley gave all three band members a chance to show off, with some smokin' solos, especially from Mr. Schlueter and Mr. Pfeffer, who also did the arrangements for the show. Not every performer is that generous with her time.

At just under 90 minutes, "My Favorite Christmas" was perhaps a bit on the long side, but there were so many entertaining moments that it hardly mattered. Some of my favorites included her take on the manic version of "Jingle Bells" Jack Gold and Marty Paich created for Barbara Streisand's 1967 "A Christmas Album" and her smoldering "Santa Baby," as well as a "White Christmas" that sounded a bit more provocative than Mr. Berlin might have had in mind.

Debby Lennon now moves on to her next theatrical project, Max and Louie Productions' local premiere of Joanna Murray-Smith's one-woman play "Songs for Nobodies" in January 2020. Meanwhile entertainment, seasonal and otherwise, continues at The Blue Strawberry pretty much every weekend; check out their calendar for details. St. Louis's newest cabaret space boasts clean sightlines, excellent sound, and a small but very well balanced food and drink menu. It's a welcome addition to the local scene, to say the least.