Tonight, the
vocalist-piano duet includes two other musicians—drummer and
bassist—making them a singer backed up by a jazz trio. It was a necessary
transformation from piano lounge act to jazz club performers. The fuller sound
makes a difference. With the trio behind her, the singer’s versions of Billie Holliday’s God Bless the
Child and Peggy Lee’s You Give Me Fever were over the top. A couple of fun middle-aged women came back tonight. They had been to the
club a few months ago and with a little prompting I remembered them. They said
they’re working on a book together addressing the issue of when it’s appropriate to hit or spank a
child. “Never, right…,” I asked? “Talk, rather than hit, right?” I was
surprised to hear them say that hitting a child can be appropriate. They said
that in their African American community there’s too much lack of discipline.
“But you can discipline without whacking, right?” As I say, I was surprised and
decided it was best to talk about the heat-breaking cooler weather. The
vocalist’s husband joined her on stage and they did their unforgettable version
of Nat King Cole’s Unforgettable. Hearts swooned. Then the singer and her trio
let loose with Dr. Feelgood and it was as though she were leading a revival
prayer meeting with her exaggerated voice and movements beckoning the audience.
She moaned that when her and her man get to lovin’ they don’t have no time to
sit and chat and sit and chit-chat… not when she’s got Dr. Feelgood… The child
spankers and everyone else were standing and waving their arms and yelling
“that’s right… you tell us, girl!” She, and her trio, made us all feel good… oh
yeahhhhh.
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