The Blues Cabaret (bio by Wayne Harrel)
The Blues Cabaret is a dynamic new song cycle about a wistful musician who finally walks the road not taken – years too late. It’s a heart-rending, knee-slapping ride through love lost, gained and then squandered, told through sixteen-plus songs, four soulful singers and one swinging band.
The two-set show is the brainchild of Dave Fleschner, writer, composer, arranger, singer, and serious pianist. A Portland, Oregon native, Dave’s toured internationally with Curtis Salgado, played with B.B. King and written for plenty of others. “But this,” he says, “this is what I’ve been wanting to do since I was sixteen years old: tell a story from my own heart with my very own tunes.”
Dave’s the genius behind The Blues Cabaret, which is why he smartly enlisted San Diego’s top blues belter, Earl Thomas. Earl has songwriting and singing credits you just have to scroll through – Etta James, Montreux Jazz Fest, Grammy nominated, etc., but his voice on a Fleschner tune is a revelation. “When I first heard Dave’s songs,” says Thomas, “they were so good I thought maybe I’d written them myself!”
Stepping into the mix are two soloists from the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus. Dapper, willowy crooner Jimmy Wilcox brings the sugar with a swing and a smile reminiscent of Frank Sinatra still in Jersey. And Nashville session man Billy Mixer spreads the salt, deliciously so, through a savory mix of altar boy cherub channeling his inner Patti LaBelle. Flanking Earl center stage, they make an inverse Oreo with bite.
Or a hot “Chicken Pot Pie,” one of the many tunes they groove to in four-part harmony. There’s a rent party feel to this funky gig as they reminisce about “That Night on the Rooftop,” savor “The Thrill of the Chase,” or ask the eternal question, “Was This Love Written in the Stars? (Or was it just tagged on a wall?)”
“Love is a Merry-Go-Round,” writes Fleschner in this soulful new show. That’s a good thing, because The Blues Cabaret deserves multiple spins.
The Blues Cabaret will be performed at The Lake Theater & Café, 106 N. State Street, Lake Oswego, on Monday, June 22 for one show only. Tickets are $15.00.
Also happening in June at The Lake Theater & Cafe:
Duffy Bishop Homecoming Show!
Duffy and Chris are certainly missed around here and the Lake Theater & Cafe will be celebrating their return to the Pacific Northwest on June 1 with a Duffy Bishop Trio performance. The pair will be teaming up with long time band member Dean Mueller on the upright bass for a reunion that is sure to be inspiring. Duffy is a favorite at the venue so advanced ticket purchase is recommended through the Lake Theater & Cafe website. Tickets are $15.00
Julie Amici to Celebrate One Year of Music Mondays at Lake Theater & Cafe on June 8
Last year during the second week of June in 2014 the Lake Theater & Cafe teamed up with Dean Mueller with the goal of creating a music experience for performers and audience that was intimate, unique, and always top notch. The Theater is proud of the reputation it has gained and is celebrating its one year anniversary with a June 8 show featuring the first artist to perform at the Theater, The Julie Amici Trio. Julie possesses a strong, yet sweet voice reminiscent of the 50’s female singers who ruled the jazz and blues world of music. Her repertoire combines the jazz of Billy Holiday with the soul of Nina Simone and the sophisticated country of Pasty Cline. Julie will be backed up by Dean Amici Mueller on Bass, and Chris Carlson on guitar. Come celebrate and catch Julie Amici in this old school dinner club environment to experience a fresh take on a bygone era that is intimate, alluring, and hauntingly beautiful. Tickets are $10.00.
All shows at The Lake Theater & Café are all ages events. Doors open at 6:00 pm and showtime is 7:00 pm. Please contact The Lake Theater & Café for tickets and reservations at http://laketheatercafe.com/.
Bay Area guitarist and vocalist Kyle Jester will be bringing his interpretations of West Coast blues to Portland for three nights in June. This is high-paced music that blends traditional blues with early rock & roll — all served with a helping of swing. He recently released a terrific album, After All This, recorded at Kid Andersen’s Greaseland Studios in San Jose. This album was produced by The Paladins’ Thomas Yearsley and Jester was backed by some of California’s tightest blues musicians. Apart from his own outstanding solo projects, Jester spent a number of years with the Freddie Brooks Band and as bandleader for the Candye Kane Band and has worked with Earl Thomas.
