If I were God, and I could create the perfect jazz singer, what would she be? Well, I’d take the swing and clarity of Ella Fitzgerald, the sensuality of Julie London, and just for fun add the look and allure of Gina Lollabrigida. Well, the fact is, I’m NOT God, and besides, He already made this creation in the form of Roberta Gambarini, who delivered a 2 hour set at Catalina’s which was all you could ask for God during this Lent
Few vocalists have the confidence to open a set as she does, with an a capella reading of “So In Love” that was clear, haunting and bel canto. With the house as silent as a monastic vestibule, Ms. Gambarini then counted off for the sizzling all star trio of Eric Reed/p, Ameen Saleem/b and the legendary Jimmy Cobb/dr to pop the clutch and swing into a take of “That Old Black Magic” the went from 0-60 in 5 seconds. From there, her dynamic range of angelic altissimo to deep and resonant profundo mixed scat with vocals on sensuously soft bossa novas like “Only Trust Your Heart” to joyful boppers such as “On The Sunny Side of the Street” in which she resonated like Dizzy Gillespie’s trumpet.
With Reed’s chiming piano chords Gambarini went from a soft sighing whisper to an agonizing cry on the slowly undulating “Oblivion” before Cobb’s patented work on the ride cymbal drove a bluesy read of “This Masquerade” in which her voice swooped down like a pelican from the sky to grab a morsel on the tide.
Ms. Gambarini spent time introducing songs from her upcoming album, a tribute to compositions by Jimmy Heath “who brings needed melody back to music.” She and Reed did a lyrical duet to the intro to “Without Song” that was fragrantly tender, while “In Praise” was a passionate modal piece that featured her wordless vocal sequeing into an inspiring campfire tale. She then delivered a reading of “You Don’t Know What Love Is” as if it were a Puccini aria, agonizing over every syllable before running off to the races with Cobb on “From This Moment On” in which the 86 year old drummer drank from the Fountain of Youth for a rousing drum solo.
Closing the set with a bonafide blues “JAMF” and “Blue Monk” Ms. Gambarini swung down the evening with a cheerful take of “I Hadn’t Anyone “Till You,” encoring with another Heath piece, a tribute to Coleman Hawkins in “The Voice of the Saxophone.” Gambarini demonstrated this warm spring evening that she herself could be described by the first two words of her closing piece.
Upcoming shows includeShascha’s Bloc w/ Jane Monheit 3/21-22, Manhattan Transfer & Take 6 3/23-24 and Sue Raney 3/26