Customer Reviews

There's A Small Hotel: Live At The Algonquin

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

Mary Cleere Haran is one of those classy caberet singers that has the special gift of SWING(which most cabaret singers aren't nessicarily gifted with, the only other one I can think of, off hand is the gifted Wesla Whitfield), here on this live cd recorded at the historical Oak Room she sings a variety of swing and jazz standards and lost gems mostly from the 20's thru 40's, the opener is a real gem which includes the rare verse on "Let's Do It", then the charming Miss Haran talks about wit, she also sings a hauntingly beautiful "A Fine Romance" and great renditions of "There's A Small Hotel", "I Concentarate On You" and perhaphs the finest recorded version ever of "Waters Of March." One doesn't mind Haran's informitive and witty remarks between each song, she's truly a classy cabaret swinger blessed with a gorgeous voice. Definately worth picking up(also get her latest "Crazy Rhythm"). All of Haran's cd's are consistant in quality for she only uses the finest jazzman to back her up, and she loves the standards and forgotten gems too(& she often sings the verses to many standards). Buy this one!

Haran hits a home run with this live album. She invites the everyday person into the exclusive world of the Algonquin's Oak Room where she makes all feel welcome. She combines superb music selection with a keen wit, so missed among today's performers. Haran has chosen her back-up musicians well, and they only help complement the warm, umber voice of Haran. Her stories regarding the pieces and their writers both entertain and inform. Additionally, the diversity of the pieces (everything from Jobim's very Latin-sounding Waters of March to Dorothy Field's "provocative" Let's Do It) represents Haran's ability as a singer of American Popular Standards, showtunes, jazz stand-bys and world rythyms. The end of the album features Haran paying homage to Tony Bennett, the successor to the late Frank Sinatra as guardian of the old-school crooners, who is in the audience. Mr. Bennett's voice can barely be heard thanking Haran for her praise and at this, Haran appears very ! nervous, making her seem to the listener as one of us, not an upity cabaret singer. This is a superb way to tie in the vintage tunes (Bennett) to the young, energetic singer (Haran). Good job, Mary!

We had a wonderful evening listening to Ms. Haran perform in New York a few years ago. This live recording captures her charm and wit, which is at the core of her art. We loved her stories about growing up Catholic in San Francisco. Its an excellent live recording of her cabaret act. Thank you, Mary.

This album was my introduction to Mary Cleere Haran. I was looking for something different. Music something like the cabarets in the old movies. Something other than the rock, country and pop music I grew up on.

I loved it. The clear voice, amusing (and often witty) lyrics and even the 'live' comments all added to my enjoyment of this CD.

an artist who deepens your appreciation of the gifts of the songwriters she brings to life with her soul and voice...

Cannot be one of Ms Cleery's best .... poorly put together, one selection is barely audible, next you have to turn volume way down because it is TOO loud ... this ia a live recording and not my favorite type of CD ...

....there's something uneven about this cd....and i reallyh hate the word 'uneven' because it implies that something was once 'even' and then something happened to undo that comfortable and smooth quality. and that's what i feel happened in this case...because i'm a big fan of mary cleere haran's 'this heart of mine' cd and i figured -- well, i found that new singer....the one that could sing songs from the forties and make you feel like the forties just opened two years ago....but there's something wrong with a performer who really can sing and decides to talk a lot because she, or he, knows that pretty soon...before the next couple of songs....there's this talk i wanta do and this will give me an added dimension and i'm working here in that icon of new york hotels were 'talk' was the big thing....with all those great minds of intellect and humor gathered around one of those tables sitting out there...it's gotta be the same table...or one of them...so i'll talk to the people...it'll be different...they'll expect one song after another but i have a lot to say...i don't just memorize lyrics...i can talk. well, just like people who can spell think they can write...there are those who assume that since they can sing a word they can probably speak it just as well...wouldn't that be neat. and we could do more cds like this and there's gotta be lots of hotels out there like this one and i could have a whole new career within a not too old career and people probably want to hear me say stuff because they want to know more about me. right? right? RIGHT? will one of you guys hand me the piano sheet for 'this heart of mine'? no, i have nothing to say about it. harry warren and arthur freed said it all.....like jack benny used to say, 'Play, Phil." Whoever in the world "Phil" was! well, i'm sure by now mary thinks she did the job she set out to do....and maybe she did....maybe it's me. but i've gotta feeling that dorothy parker could also sing and talk...she saved the words for were they counted....in her writing....except for those times when she wanted to shock somebody...which was always. 'this heart of mine'....you know, she could've really done something special with that song. it would've come out sounding different...but everything she said did exactly that and we're still talking about her. at least i am. no, it's not me. mary probably knew better when she did the larry hart cd. maybe.