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THE PERFORMING ARTS WEEKLY APRIL 23, 2004
Bistro Bits
By John Hoglund
When I first started covering cabaret in New York, singer Valentine Ryder was prominent on the scene, appearing in clubs like Upstairs at Greene Street, Steve McGraw’s, Freddy’s, Mr. Sam’s and Oh Johnny. His bubbly aggressive delivery of a song made his readings memorable. His honesty and natural musicianship brought him a lot of acclaim. And with good reason – the guy’s a song’s best friend. His musical director then was an unknown Stephen Flaherty.
Well, after a hiatus, he’s back with a vengeance. With the Barry Levitt Trio and special dynamo guest singer Scott Parrish, he tore the roof off Dillon’s last week in a cabaret concert worthy of Carnegie Hall that he calls “Sing! Sing! Swing!” And, with one last show on April 22, it’s well worth it. (This in spite of the inept staff and recent management changes at Dillon’s. This terrific space needs to get its act together if it hopes to be taken seriously.)
Valentine Ryder is an accomplished jazz stylist with a rangy baritone that can soar or melt to a whisper. One of his best qualities is his commitment to the song. How many male vocalists can personalize and reinvent Kander and Ebb’s “And The World Goes ‘Round” and make it a story of his own life in song?
With one of the best song lists I’ve seen in ages, Ryder shone with treasures like a gospel-flavored “Please Send Me Someone To Love” (Mayfield), “Alone Together” (Deitz-Schwartz) with a haunting bass line, and a riveting wrenching beauty called “If You Leave Me Now” (Kander-Ebb cut from “The Happy Time”). The Ahrens-Flaherty “Love Who You Love” (From “A Man of No Importance” was a beauty sung to perfection.
I could go on and on. Everything Ryder sang has gusto and lots of plain old heart. And that is what greatness is about. He sang the Mercer-Arlen gem “I Wonder What Became of Me”. He needn’t worry. Cabaret is richer to have him back.
Valentine Ryder
Sing, Sing, Swing!
Dillon’s
Welcome back, Valentine Ryder! After a ten-year absence from performing, Val Ryder has returned to cabaret - singing and swinging at Dillon’s Standing Center stage – no patter, no pose, no pretence - he glides effortlessly in and out of some twenty jazz, swing and popular numbers, giving each song his personal stamp. With a smile as wide as the Dillon’s stage, he clearly is a man comfortable in his skin, sharing his pleasure in making music. He and musical director Barry Levitt have constructed a consistently interesting program, consisting of single songs interwoven with smartly designed medleys. Among the latter: The Merry-Go Round Broke Down linked with But the World Goes Round; a duo by Duke Ellington, Do Nothin’ Til You Hear From Me and Don’t Get Around Much Any More; Carole King’s Up On the Roof with DiMirco’s Up the Ladder to the Roof – each part of each pair illumination the other. Providing musical backbone to the evening is the Barry Levitt Trio with Levitt on piano, Bryan Grice on drums, and Cameron Brown on bass- the latter shining especially in a duet with Ryder on the Dietz/Schwartz song, Alone Together.
Peter Haas
Thursday, December 16, 2004.
Valentine Ryder
Love Who You Love
The Duplex
Taking a generous helping of standards, Valentine Ryder ran them through his lived-in soul, added his sunny optimism, and combined them with his increasing confidence and strength as a singer. The result — in a December run at The Duplex — was a swinging good evening of music. With musical director Barry Levitt at the piano, Ryder linked a number of songs in smart medleys — for example, It Don’t Mean a Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing in a driving combination with Sing, Sing, Sing, and The People That You Never Get to Love partnered with Love Who You Love. His insinuating It Ain’t Necessarily So no doubt reversed several believers; his How High the Moon soared romantically. Collaborating on lively music-making were Cameron Brown on bass, Bryan Grice on drums, and Howie Leshaw on sax. If the gods guiding cabaret are wise and just, they should give Valentine Ryder a regular room of his own. His talent deserves it – and so do his listeners.
Peter Haas
• MIGHTY MIXTURE
By GARY STEVENS
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NIGHT OUT: With pure abandon and super vitality, Val Ryder, a profile in personal courage, did a rousing singing act at Dillons, He is a spirited vocal achiever who can go easily from a rhythm tune to a sentimental ballad and make you like both. To help things along, there was the Barry Levitt Trio offering explicit and pleasing support. Ryder combined the Ellington-Russell songs “Don’t Get Around Much Any More” and “Do Nothin’ Till You Hear From Me.” And the result was exciting. When Val paired “The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down” with “The World Goes ‘Round” (Kander & Ebb), the crowd was handed a treat. And bless our man in the vocal spotlight for finding the 1946 hidden away treasure, “This Is Always” (Gordon-Warren). And to think June Haver sang it in a movie all those years ago. Not a wasted moment in this act that ran over an hour. That says something.
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Bistro Bits by John Hoglund
December 17, 2004
“Jazz-swing singer Valentine Ryder is on the boards again at the Duplex, this time celebrating the release of his exciting new CD, “Love Who You Love.” With Barry Levitt musically directing the trio, and one of the finest song lists anywhere, Ryder proves that he remains one of this town’s most exciting interpreters of the standards. Songs like “Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me” and “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore” both by Bob Russell and Duke Ellington, are given memorable treatments. Ryder’s unique ability to swing and make such expressive sounds in a belting tenor range is inspiring. Neophytes would benefit from seeing this pro breeze through an eclectic hour with ease. A respected vocal coach, his show is a master class in how to get it right. After bouncing back from serious illness and personal problems, cabaret is richer for his presence. And the CD is about as good as a jazz stylist can get.”