From the mega hits—"Eli's Coming" and "Wedding Bell Blues"—to the hidden gems like "He's a Runner", vocalist
Shepley Metcalf brings The Songs of Laura Nyro to Davenport's Piano Bar & Cabaret on Saturday, June 1 and celebrates the release of her album of Nyro's tunes. The show just ran at the Metropolitan Room in New York City and earlier at top clubs in Boston.
Boston-based Metcalf and pianist Ron Roy, the "superb cabaret/jazz singer and her ace piano accompanist" (The Boston Globe), specialize in little-known tunes from the '20s to the '40s. But after decades of admiring Nyro's fantastic songbook, Metcalf decided to dive in and create this show. Their show set list includes the love song Emmie, Upstairs by a Chinese Lamp, and the rally-cry song Save the Country. Nyro (1947-1997) penned numerous songs that became huge hits (Stoney End, And When I Die, Wedding Bell Blues) for other artists; her own albums earned her a devoted following and critical acclaim. Nyro's Chicago concerts included a 1994 show at the Metropole and a 1988 concert at The Vic. The NYC native was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April 2012.
Metcalf's last Chicago show featured the songs of lyricist Fran Landesman (Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most). In New York this show was reviewed in The New York Times; Metcalf also performed it in Boston, Provincetown, and San Francisco. Her companion album, Something Irresistible: Songs of Fran Landesman + Simon Wallace, earned a four-star/excellent review from Jazzwise, the UK's top selling jazz magazine.
Show Info
Shepley Metcalf and Ron Roy, piano.
The Songs of Laura Nyro
Saturday, June 1 at 8:00 pm
Davenport's Piano Bar & Cabaret
1383 N. Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL
www.davenportspianobar.com
773-278-1830
$20 cover + 2-drink minimum
Excerpts of show audio on YouTube: Shepley Metcalf Sings Laura Nyro (LIVE)
Album Info
Release date: April 2013
Shepley Metcalf :The Songs of Laura Nyro: Live at the Metropolitan Room
Shepley Metcalf/vocals. Janice Friedman/piano. Jim Whitney/bass. Willard Dyson/drums.
Recorded live by Jean-Pierre Perreaux on November 10, 2012 at the Metropolitan Room, New York City. Mastered by Doug Hammer at Dreamworld Productions.
Tracks:
1. Sweet Blindness (3:10)
2. Wedding Bell Blues (5:17)
3. Luckie (3:32)
4. Billy's Blues (3:27)
5. Stoney End (3:15)
6. And When I Die (4:16)
7. Save The Country (3:26)
8. Eli's Coming (4:05)
More at www.shepleymetcalf.com
