There’s plenty of good times to be had in cabaret’s haunts. The joy of a night out, the camaraderie of folk like yourself who treasure listenable music, the nostalgia of old songs reprised in an absorbing show, the pleasure of the familiar given a new interpretation, the bliss of a vocalist and musicians coming together to jointly give a favorite song its due. It’s hard to argue with any of the above, but there’s one thing that’s a match to the best of them – unexpectedly coming upon an intriguing and hitherto unknown artist whose talent is undeniable.
The Metropolitan Room’s Joanne Furshpan produces (and husband Bernie hosts) Bernie’s Sing Your Heart Out, a periodic program at the venue featuring new and promising performers. One audition tape caught Joanne’s attention. Submitted by a young woman in Maryland, it got her a spot in the new talent showcase, which in turn prompted Bernie, also the room’s managing partner, to offer Hannah Gill a show of her very own.
Gill is young, blonde, attractive, with an ease on stage that belies her 16 years. (That’s 16 years of age, not 16 years of performing.) If that were the extent of what she offered, one might say “Quite pleasant.” But the unabashed delight of discovery was her savory voice and a surprisingly mature sensitivity to the lyrics. The clincher of that was her tribute to Ella Fitzgerald with her rendition of “Summertime.” The song, almost certainly familiar to everyone in the room, permitted easy comparisons to prior hearings by other and better-known artists. Gill delivered it so appealingly, and knowingly, that it left little doubt this youthful vocalist was on the express track to make a mark in the music world.
Most of the songs were originals by the band’s lead guitarist, Brad Hammonds. The arrangements were excellent and well tailored both to the songs and to Gill’s vocal contributions. John Raymond, the trumpeter and flugelhorner, embellished the numbers nicely with his frequent instrumental highlights. Derek Nievergelt on electric bass and John Bollinger on drums fleshed out the appealing quartet. Only one item disturbed the band’s totally satisfying musicianship: sometimes submerging their vocalist and her lyrics by playing too loudly for the intimacy of a cabaret room. Happily, once aware, easily corrected for the future.
Hannah Gill is off to an impressive beginning of her musical career. Having been driven up from Maryland to do the show – a four and a half hour drive, we were informed – Gill made it a bit of a family night by bringing up to the piano her 14-year-old brother to join the ensemble for a couple of numbers. I suspect both Hannah and her brother will sleep in the car on the way back home. There was, after all, school tomorrow.