Mixing material from their two highly successful albums, the rara avis of a working male/female singing team of Cheryl Bentyne and Mark Winkler wowed the audience with an evening that swung harder than Reggie Jackson and had more hip moments than a day with the chiropractor.
While there have been other famous couples in our culture like Nick & Nora Charles and Rob & Laura Petrie, Winkler and Bentyne come off like the Maxwell Smart and Agent 99 of jazz. Teamed up with LA’s finest in Rich Eames/p, Grant Geissman/g, Ann Patterson/ts-fl, Gabe Davis/b and Dave Tull/dr Winkler and Bentyne melded together with deliciously rich harmonies as well as shooting out like race cars on their own as they bounced like a Super Ball on pieces like “Things Are Swingin’” while getting suave and shark suit slick on “West Coast Cool.” The duo play their roles well, as Winkler is the hipster/cool nerd who sings like he’s relaxing between shots in a pool hall as on “But Not For Me” and Bentyne slinks out her flexible lyrics to the finger snapping “The Best Is Yet to Come” as if she had “Kiss Me I’m Irish” pasted on the back of her dress, with only the leopard skin rug missing for full effect.
Like all wise couples, the two took some time alone in the spotlight, as Mark joined with Grant Geissman’s guitar to add his own lyrics to Wes Montgomery’s “Bumpin’” for a suave, personal and bluesy “I Could Get Used to This” while he was cozy and joyful on the upbeat “Rhode Island Is Famous For You.” Cheryl delivered an aria worthy of Verdi on a riveting duo with Geissman during “Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most” before putting a rose between her teeth and grilling up a sizzling table dance with Tull on an exotic and enticing “Senor Blues.”
The combination of Winkler’s sandied voice and Bentyne’s Waterford Crystal clear taffy pull of lyrics worked at its best as they went back and forth like a jai alai tournament on a cool “Take 5” before encoring with a “Route 66” that cruised like a V8 Chevy with the top down.
The delivery of the vintage material was as fresh as a 6 am baguette, steaming hot with lady and gent adding just the right seasoning as they laid down the gauntlet for jazz duos.
Upcoming shows at Vitello’s include Aaron Akins 08/23, Max Haymer 08/24, Danny Webber 08/26 and Deborah Shulman 09/13