New York, New York: A Toe-Tapping Journey through the Great American Song Book is just that; a fun night of swing and brass band favourites from Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Glenn Miller, Louis Armstrong and George Gershwin. Favourites include Get Happy, Mack the Knife Knife, Fly Me to the Moon and of course, New York, New York.
The accompanying band are particularly great, keeping the music flowing and delivering some great solo moments.
It’s a double act with a five piece band. The duo are likable, although they are no superstars. They sing the songs and have fun but they don’t try to recreate the vocal tones of the American greats and are instead very clearly English and there’s a fair amount of room for improvement. The notes occasionally fall flat and the pair could certainly add a bit more fun and sizzle to the big band showy numbers, to really get the audience toe-tapping. Still, they mostly hit the right notes. Overall, they sing with charm and the audience were certainly enjoying themselves. The accompanying band are particularly great, keeping the music flowing and delivering some great solo moments.
It’s a reasonably priced show at £8.50 and the drinks are pretty cheap at around £3 for a pint or a spirit and mixer, so if you’re a fan of the American oldies, this isn’t a bad way to enjoy them sang live when you’re on a budget. The Cabaret Bar is a spacious venue. There are plenty of seats at the front for the attentive audience and loads of space in the rest of the bar for the more passive viewers. It’s a relaxed and easygoing show that’s great to be shared with the family or could be the start of a good night out with friends.
