Review: The Sun Comes Out for Singer Sylvia Brooks

Listening to Sylvia Brooks' album The Arrangement is a thrilling experience. Attending her live performance onstage is even more so. On Saturday October 26, Brooks brought her fascinating jazz/pop/Latin sounds to Feinstein's Upstairs at Vitello's for a sold out concert. What a pleasure to see this lovely woman dressed to the nines in an evening dress rarely worn by performers in today's circle and singing passionately with a 7 piece orchestra. Brooks poured her heart out and really had a grand time...meaning her enjoyment reached over the footlights and pulled her audience in, held on to them and never let go for 90 minutes. That in my book is a truly great performer, who leaves you begging for more.

Backed by seasoned pros Jeff Colella at piano, Lawrence Juber on guitar, Kim Richmond on sax - also musical director -, Ken Wild on percussion, Steve Pemberton on drums, Jeff Bunnell on trumpet, and John Sawoski on keyboards and strings, Brooks performed a selection of songs to suit a jazz lover's dream, such as "When the Sun Comes Out", her favorite "Harlem Nocturne" with a lovely sax solo from Richmond, "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", "Guess Who I Saw Today", "Body and Soul", Billy Strayhorn's sad and brilliantly discordant "Lush Life" and even "The Man That Got Away" from A Star Is Born, all with fresh arrangements from her amazing musicians.

I love Latin music. Born and brought up in Miami, Florida with its Cuban culture aglow, so does Brooks. She set the house on fire with "Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps" and especially "Last Tango". It really made us want to get up out of our seats and...move. Can't beat those sexy, sassy rhythms! The audience literally went wild during this number and screamed their approval to Brooks. In a theatre, it's distracting, but rather welcomed in a cabaret setting. It shows just how much the audience appreciates the talent in front of them. Without question, Brooks should do a whole recording dedicated to just the Latin music. It is such an integral part of our musical history.

Another highlight of the evening was the unexpected Beatles hit "Eleanor Rigby", jazzercised by Brooks and on guitar, the magnificent 2-time Grammy winner Lawrence Juber, who has played in concert with Paul McCartney.

I mentioned earlier that Brooks was outfitted beautifully. Her dress designer of ten years David Santillanes should be praised. She wore a gorgeous red dress that resembled a gown Sarah Jessica Parker's character Carrie wore in the season finale of "Sex in the City", one with a shimmeringly frilly and lacy Dior skirt. It's from an era gone by, and when a performer goes to such great strides to look elegant and original, you know she is extra special.

I cannot give enough praise to Sylvia Brooks and her 7 magical musicians for such a classy evening of song. There was a little talk about great singers of the past like Nancy Wilson, and regarding how women have been put upon by men, but the night was pretty much music. Great singers like Brooks would rather sing about unrequited love than talk about it. That's what a truly fine singer should aim for. Don't mis Sylvia Brooks wherever and whenever she appears. And I really mean it, Ms. Brooks, make that recording of all Latin music!

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