Review: ANTONIA BENNETT AND THE TODD HUNTER TRIO AT DIZZY'S CLUB AT JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER

Elegant and sophisticated is the perfect description of the night that was Antonia Bennett AND THE Todd Hunter TRIO AT DIZZY’S CLUB AT JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ON NOVEMBER 30, 2023. Attired in black adorned with a swath of black sequined fringe, the flame-haired jazz singer charmed the packed house with her renditions of tunes both old and new.  Even though her father’s legacy loomed large, the scion of jazz icon Tony Bennett nodded to her father and her past as she forged ahead into her own solo career with the evening’s special performance.  

Starting off the night with her own zingy take on the Cole Porter classics “Night and Day” and “I Love Paris,” Antonia Bennett showcased her versatile, sultry, and seemingly effortless vocals - it made this reviewer think of Billie Holiday but with a fiery twist.  While crooning the timeless  “Moon River” to a rapt audience, she relayed how, like her father had sung to her as a child, she now uses her musical talent to lull her young daughter to sleep at night. Thus, she is passing on the Bennett legacy to the next generation.  A zesty vocal performance of “Fascinating Rhythm" by George and Ira Gershwin had the audience applauding loudly.

Throughout the show, Bennett was accompanied by The Todd Hunter Trio, an ensemble of talented musicians each in their own right.  Composed of musical director and jazz pianist, Todd Hunter - renowned as the musical director of Dionne Warwick, as well as having worked with talents such as Natalie Cole and Whitney Houston, Chris Wabich - a multi-Grammy nominated drummer who has worked with Sting, Stanley Jordan, and Leonard Cohen, and rounding out the trio is bassist Ian Martin - who has accompanied famed performers Barbra Streisand and Barry Manilow.

Emotions ran high as Antonia Bennett pointed out this performance was her homecoming to New York City.  She struggled as she pointed out she could see her father’s Central Park South home, visible in the darkened night sky behind the floor-to-ceiling glass window. She let all know that, though she had lived elsewhere at times, NYC had a special place in her heart.

The program then turned from the classics of the past to the present. Antonia Bennett aptly presented her songwriter chops with a performance of her new single “Right On Time,” a happy, feel-good pop-like song that she co-wrote with her collaborator, Cliff Goldmacher.

As the show came to its end, Antonia Bennett poignantly presented “Always On My Mind,” which I am sure represented the mindset of all in the room for such an emotionally charged evening of music. Yes, it seems Antonia’s father, Tony Bennett, will always be on her mind.  I look forward to watching as the fire of the Bennett family's singing legacy burns brightly in the future.

Antonia Bennett AND THE Todd Hunter TRIO AT DIZZY’S CLUB AT JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ON NOVEMBER 30, 2023 featured jazz songstress Antonia Bennett and The Todd Hunter Trio - Todd Hunter, musical director and pianist, Chris Wabich on drums and Ian Martin on bass.

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Photo by Lawrence Sumulong

 

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