The Cabaret Chronicles: Sue Matsuki, MetroJam, and the Coming Week!

Happy Weekend!  I had an interesting week…it started out great with Sue Matsuki’s debut at Feinstein’s on Sunday, but took an unexpected turn when I came down with a stomach bug and was unable to leave my apartment for the following three days!  I rallied towards the end of the week, though, and was able to make it out to MetroJam at The Metropolitan Room last night – phew!  So, let me tell you about the two events I DID make it to this week, and then I’ll let you know what’s coming up in the nightlife world this week!

So...Sunday evening found me at Feinstein’s at Loews Regency for Sue Matsuki’s show, Ella & Me, a heartfelt tribute to the first lady of song.  Joined by musical director Gregory Toroian on piano, Tom Hubbard on bass, and Ron Tierno on drums, Ms. Matsuki brought elegance, charm, sophistication, and humor to this classiest of nightclubs, and had the audience enraptured from the get-go.  Never attempting to imitate the legendary songstress, Ms. Matsuki was able to bring her own warm personality to the material while still honoring Ms. Fitzgerald’s intentions.  Full of fantastic songs like “Lullaby of Birdland,” “Blue Skies,” “Don’cha Go ‘Way Mad,” “’Round Midnight,” and more, the show glided along effortlessly, and was made all the more lively by Ms. Matsuki’s anecdotes, which she seamlessly wound in among the songs.  An especially fun number was “Mack The Knife,” which Ms. Matsuki performed complete with the improvised lyrics Ella came up with in a now-legendary performance in which she forgot the words but came up with very clever replacements!  The audience, a virtual who’s who of NYC nightlife, had a terrific time, and it was a terrific way to start the week!

Now, let’s fast-forward to Friday night, by which time my stomach bug had come and gone and I was back on my feet and able to head to The Metropolitan Room for MetroJam!  MetroJam is the monthly open mic at The Metropolitan Room which I have the honor of hosting!  Although the weather forecast was dire, there was still a swell turnout, and there were a number of truly terrific performances!  The special guest for the evening was guitarist Sean Harkness, who played a tremendously entertaining 3-song set as the centerpiece of the evening, and other fabulous performances were turned in throughout the night by performers like Maureen Taylor, Tom D’Angelo, Rosemary Loar, Danielle Grabianowski, Rob Langeder, Sigali Hamburger, Richard Eisenberg, Kathleen France and more!  The MetroJam house band (John DiPinto on piano, Ritt Henn on bass, and Bobby Sher on drums) was rockin’ and it was a super kickoff to the weekend!
 

Coming up this week…
 
Monday, February 8th: Jim Caruso’s Cast Party at Birdland.  Hosted by Jim Caruso, this fantastic open mic runs from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. but make sure to get there early to sign up if you want to sing!

Wednesday, February 10th:  Wednesday Night at the Iguana.  Hosted by Richard Skipper and Dana Lorge, this weekly singers’ showcase is the place to be on Wednesday nights!  This Wednesday is Richard Skipper’s birthday celebration, and the featured guests for the evening include Glen Charlow, Jeanne MacDonald, Jim Speake, Maureen Taylor, and yours truly!  Should be a fun night.  The show runs from 8 p.m. - 11 p.m. and reservations are essential, as this usually sells out!  Reservations can be made by calling (212) 765-5454.

Wednesday, February 10th - Sunday, February 14th:  Hilary Kole at Birdland.  Hilary is a phenomenally talented jazz vocalist, and a must-see, if at all possible!  Shows are at 8:30 and 11:00 p.m. 2/10 - 2/13 and 6:00, 9:00 and 11:00 p.m. on 2/14.

Pictured: Sue Matsuki