Brian De Lorenzo: Press

Found Treasures
Although the title of Brian De Lorenzo's Found Treasures refers to the songs it contains, the cabaret singer is one himself. Possessing a clear tenor which he uses with earnest emotional intensity, De Lorenzo sings with complete commitment. Some of his selections may not have been "lost" to Show Music readers, but the 19 numbers form an appealing program. And where else would you be likely to hear Angel's "Astoria Gloria" and "How Do You Say Goodbye?," Romance/Romance's "Words He Doesn't Say," and 3 Guys Naked From the Waist Down's "I Don't Believe in Heroes Anymore?" De Lorenzo's sincerity makes familiar songs such as "Who Will Buy?" (Oliver!), "Do I Hear a Waltz?" and "Tonight at Eight" (She Loves Me) seem fresh.

Made in America: Vaudeville Songs
I want to mention two discs that have recently come across my desk. The first is Made in America: Vaudeville Songs – it's a tribute to the Gumm Family – and you know their most famous daughter – Frances Gumm – better known as Judy Garland. Here, you'll find some 22 tracks of songs like "By the Light of the Silvery Moon" and "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen." All of the songs on this charming disc are ones that were performed by the Gumm family's act when they traveled on the vaudeville circuit. The booklet that comes with the disc is chock-full of information and it's not only a grand listen, it's a terrific recreation of a piece of history.

Another look back to the past is "William Bolcom, Joan Morris, Max Morath and Robert White Sing Gus Kahn" – it's a live recording that features some of the most beautifully phrased renditions I can think of of songs like "Dream a Little Dream of Me," "Makin' Whoopee," "My Buddy" and "Toot Toot Tootsie."

Made in America: Vaudeville Songs
A Tribute to the Gumm Family
New York Cast

A fabulous CD, worthy of it's topic. Beautifully produced. It reminds me of the days when Judy Garland dominated American entertainment.

UNDER THE RADAR

Made in America: Vaudeville Songs
A Tribute to the Gumm Family
New York Cast

As usual, the last CD is one you might not know. Those who think they do, should know that this is a revised version, with eight selections re-recorded or new. (I haven't heard the earlier tracks, so I can't comment on the now-obsolete incarnation.) This newly issued version is an entertaining look back at entertainment from decades ago. Going back to those pre-microphone days, it's billed as a "tribute" to the members of the Gumm family. Using material sung once upon a vaudeville time by Baby Frances Gumm (the tiny tot who grew up to have her name changed to Judy Garland) and her performing family, it's a page out of history.

Judy Garland's very early performing career has been discussed in books and is the stuff that becomes legendary and/or hypochrophal. The producer of this recording and its live show counterpart is Michelle Russell, who is writing a full-length book about the family, due next year. There are a few existing bits of sound and film and some photos of the real Gumms, but they are not imprinted enough in most people's minds to worry about comparisons. In this recording, there are several numbers with three young girls as Judy and her two older sisters. Sofie Zamchik, age 8, gets the big shoes to fill (or should I say little shoes?) and is a sweetie. As Judy, she sounds unaffected and endearing in her solo spots - the tearjerkers "Tie Me to Your
Apron Strings Again" and a spunky "Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue." The older girls, Ashley Birmingham and Laura Oseland, set the mood well with the opener, "Rememb'ring." All three shine in a dare-you-not-to-smile paean to optimism, "Wear a Hat With a Silver Lining." This is a late addition to the show, the theme song of vaudevillian Ted Lewis.

You might expect that, with the hook being Judy Garland, the kids would dominate the album, but they don't. I'd prefer more of the sisters' repertoire, but the focus is more on the material that was performed by Frank and Ethel Gumm, who began as performers years before their daughters were part of the act. Erin Romero and Jennifer Ackerman are both heard effectively as mother Gumm. Jennifer does a lovely job with a solo, "I've Been Saving For a Rainy Day." However, it's the sole male member of the troupe who gets the lion's share of the material. That's fine by me, as he's the versatile and strong singer Brian De Lorenzo. The guy has a real flair for the period style. Whether turning on the charm with a showy bit of flash or a sentimental ballad with his pure, high voice, he's perfect casting. I knew his talent and affection for more recent theatrical material from a well-done solo album, Found Treasures, so I'm not surprised.

Garland aficionados will note that there are numerous songs from the family set list that she recorded after she became a star, having retained an affection for the old standbys. Those include "You Made Me Love You," "Alexander's Ragtime Band," "Carolina in the Morning," "Danny Boy," and the song used, in a short version, as the closing theme for her TV series, "Maybe I'll Come Back" (it's one of Brian's best moments and he sings it with relish). "When My Sugar Walks Down the Street," sung here by the girls, was one of the songs cut from a segment in the Garland film A Star Is Born.

Major credit must go to the pianists. Sue Maskaleris is responsible for skilled piano accompaniment and vocal/instrumental arrangements on seven tracks. The rest are the work of Mark Hartman, credited in the same way and also as a co-producer (along with Daryl Kojak). An increasingly ubiquitous and always valued presence on the New York cabaret and theater scene, Mark has a special affinity for period material, as evidenced by his past work with the highly entertaining and musically spot-on revivals produced by Musicals Tonight! and the new recording of After The Ball on the Kritzerland label. He has an understanding of and respect for the 1920s and 1930s eras and it comes through his playing, as he brings out an affection stopping short of schmaltz and never sounding tired. A few selections have the added musical colors of clarinet, violin or ukelele.

Certainly, you need to be willing to step back in time and buy into the sentimentality and check your sophistication at the door. If children singing sets your teeth on edge, these Gumms aren't going to do yours any good. The great achievement of this album is that it comes off as a sincere love letter to the style and sensibility of the period. Though knee-deep in nostalgia (maybe waist-deep, actually), the performers don't sound condescending to the more flowery, innocent tone. No one is winking at the audience or mocking in any way, and the performers and musicians work together well. Since they complement each other well and are on the same page, this reflects well on Michelle Russell as director and executive producer.

The liner notes are informative but concise, explaining how and when each song was part of the Gumm family performing history. Though Judy Garland fans will be especially curious, this has much broader appeal. Anyone interested in the early era of American entertainment will get a real taste for the styles from this good mix of the little-known and better-remembered tunes. I think Broadway types will especially like "There's a Broken Heart for Each Light on Broadway." As Ethel Merman first sang (loud and clear), "who could ask for anything more?"

Made in America: Vaudeville Songs
A Tribute to the Gumm Family

This album is a tribute to the performers who traveled around the country from the late 1800s to the 1930s, and Made in America is a "family" troupe of five performers, two adults and three young girls. This CD is a lot of nostalgic and melodic fun featuring lilting, swaying tunes and soulful ballads, all chockfull of character and insights into the American heart and mind of yesteryear -- a time of gentler expression but no less emotional depth. Today, at a time when many of us are developing a deeper sense of nation and community and rediscovering an appreciation of our own unique values and culture (yes, Americans DO have a "culture" despite the persistent and cynical perception to the contrary), this CD is a terrific way to enjoy bygone music, timeless feelings and the joys of family and children.

I was surprised that I was at least generally familiar with most of the 22 songs in this collection. (Oh, the terrors of being middle-aged!) Some songs here are rare or unknown -- a special appeal in itself -- but there are classics aplenty, including "By the Light of the Silvery Moon," "Alexander's Ragtime Band," "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" and "Carolina in the Morning." There is a beautiful rendition of "Danny Boy" and even a short ukulele solo performance.

But there's another equally historic-cultural reason to enjoy this collection.

All the songs here have a connection with the Gumm family, which was a performing family through and through. Frank and Ethel Gumm formed a vaudeville team known as: Jack and Virginia Lee, Sweet Southern Singers. They settled in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, and managed a local movie theater. The couple dreamed of having a child who would be a renowned singer. And guess what? Along came a third daughter, whom they named Frances. The world would know her later as Judy Garland. The future star made her stage debut at age 2, singing "Jingle Bells" and in trio with her sisters, singing "When My Sugar Walks Down the Street." (That's a really fun song, by the way.)

Thus, the three children in the modern-day act represent the Gumm daughters, and they play a prominent role, solo and collectively, in many of the songs -- from the endearing "I Never Had a Mammy" to the innocently stirring "My Country Tis of Thee" to the joyful, can't-sit-still "Five Foot Two, Eyes of Blue."

If you recognize "There's a Broken Heart for Each Light on Broadway," there's a very good reason. Judy Garland loved this song and used it to close her weekly television show. (No, I didn't know that one. That was just a tad before my time.) There's more information on the Web site about the family and Judy Garland.

Also on the CD: "My Wonderful Dream Girl" is a dreamlike, haunting ballad that will capture your attention and your heart. The title song, "Made In America" is really the song, "There's a Maid in America - A Maid for Every Boy," which you might even call a possible vaudevillian influence for the Beach Boys. (Did I say culture? You betcha.)

Made in America is a group comprised of sterling talent -- accomplished performers and up-and-comers (in some cases, both). There are lots of names and lots of credits, and it's difficult to know where to start and where to stop. So, I'm going to leave it up to you to check out the performers at your pleasure.

Even if these old songs and the vaudeville-cabaret style aren't your cup of tea, you're bound to find yourself getting caught up in it all anyway.

Emotional honesty is a cabaret singer's stock in trade, and De Lorenzo has it. He makes every song sound like an account of his own experience and emotions, and he conveys each one with a directness that makes the experience the listener's as well.... De Lorenzo...is a talented music theater artist with an easy-to-listen-to voice, an engaging, emotionally honest style, and an uncanny knack for picking great, little-known songs.... Ask your record store for it, and if they don't have it, tell them they should.

When a singer has a voice like Brian De Lorenzo, musicians like to say, "He is a songwriter's best friend." Schooled in musical theatre since he was a child, De Lorenzo brings to the stage an instrument that is not only well-trained but strikingly beautiful. He has one of those rare voices that make first-time listeners stop and say, "Who is that?"

Found Treasures Cabaret Show
This young man really impressed us when we were called to judge a cabaret contest at Pegasus... When we caught his debut show at Eighty Eight's...our high expectations were rewarded with an evening that was a delight. Singing lesser known Broadway show tunes intertwined with biographical anecdotes, the evening was indeed memorable... Cabaret demands honesty of its performers, and Brian never strayed from this requirement. His vocals place him among the best currently appearing on the New York cabaret scene. And his comic timing was not lost on the enthusiastic audience... Brian's radiant charm won our hearts.

Found Treasures Cabaret Show
Lesley Alexander's Cabaret Roundup
Welcome to the Club
Also at Eighty-Eight's there's a new singer from Boston you should come and hear. Brian De Lorenzo. He's a strong tenor capable of an operatic sound, but mostly he's pure cabaret. He knows how to get to the heart of a ballad, which is the bulk of the material in his show called Found Treasures... He builds moments with a sweet earnest quality in both his voice and his demeanor... This is a young man with strong possibilities. Well worth a listen.

Found Treasures Cabaret Show
De Lorenzo has a very pretty voice, he's especially good at making eye contact, and he's very likable. His "Tonight at Eight" is exuberant, he performs "My First True Love" with considerable personality and charm, and his rendition of "Giants in the Sky" has vitality.

The 12th Annual Mabel Mercer Foundation Cabaret Convention at Town Hall, NYC
And now, please embrace us with your forgiveness for not having given you the highlights of the convention till this moment. In no particular order, they are: Best Dramatic Performances:...Brian De Lorenzo...

CabaretFest! Provincetown, 2000
I had such a glorious weekend at the CabaretFEST! in Provincetown, I sort of hated to return to New York City. ...I was totally floored by the depth of cabaret talent in the Beantown area! There were about a dozen performers involved in the weekend's FESTivities, and they were all fantastic. Sometimes we folks in NYC get into the habit of thinking that all the great cabaret talent is here in town. Not true! Just about everyone taking part in the various shows over the weekend could go head-to-head with the best of NYC cabaret performers!

CabaretFest! Provincetown, 2000
De Lorenzo had the audience alternately swooning and cheering in an unconventional version of "Who Will Buy" from Oliver, then had them mesmerized during "A Trick of Fate," by David Friedman. The trio's sensational reprise of "Fun/Stuck on You" demonstrated the shear joy of cabaret for both performers and audience. It doesn't get much better than this.

It's GI Jive 1940s USO Tribute Show
De Lorenzo has the ability to jump quickly into the feeling of each song, conveying emotion with every phrase he sings.