“I saw you last night … but you weren’t with her,” Hadda Brooks informed a tuxedo-clad newlywed sitting next to his bride before draping her arms around his neck and languidly resting on his lap.
After two nights of unforgettable performances at the Shim-Sham Club last month, it was obvious that the legendary torch song singer and boogie-woogie piano player still gets her kicks from working a crowd. As she mingled, and occasionally flirted, with audience members between verses, one couldn’t help but notice a sublime glow in her dazzling eighty-two-year-old eyes. Despite her age, Brooks seems to be embarking on one of the greatest comebacks in jazz history.
Ever since actor Johnny Depp hosted her eighty-first birthday party at his tragically hip club, the Viper Room, Brooks has been performing to an A-list of celebrities at elaborate parties throughout Hollywood and Los Angeles.
Brooks played two lengthy sets at the Shim-Sham with veteran stand-up bass player, Senator Eugene Washington. The chemistry between these two was, in itself, something to see; while Hadda cooked on piano the good Senator effortlessly played along, occasionally muttering a barely audible, “Oh yeah.”
Hadda kept her audience spellbound throughout the evening. And there were moments of absolute bliss as when Brooks sang the tranquil ballad “Dream.” The words, Just watch the smoke rings rise in the air, you’ll find your share of memories there,” conjured enough exquisite imagery to send a collective chill down the spines of all who were listening.
The genuine enthusiasm and bountiful energy Brooks received from the audience was enough to keep her belting out the numbers up until the wee hours of the morning.
For her first ever appearance in New Orleans, Brooks drew most of her playlist from her latest release, I’ve Got News For You. The double CD serves as a abbreviated catalogue of Brooks’ magnificent career spanning the years 1945 to 1998. The collection features two outstanding CDs: “Hadda Sings,” and, “Hadda Swings.”
The former blasts off with Brooks’ 1947 classic recording of the seductive “That’s My Desire,” makes a tranquil pit stop in 1957 with the languid yet affecting “Dream,” then traverses Hadda’s own musical highways before teaching a lively 1998 recording of “Them There Eyes.” Compared to her velvety recordings of the 50s and 60s, Hadda’s voice is a bit raspier on the more recently recorded tracks. However, her seasoned vocal chords add a grittiness to Brooks’ voice that helps catapult songs like “Time Was When,” and “Need A Little Sugar in my Bowl” to new heights.
What keeps Hadda swinging on the second CD, is her trademark piano playing. Brooks’ ability to pound the ivories to kingdom come is evident on many of the punchier tunes including “Miss Brown To You,” “Mama’s Blues,” and Hadda’s stirring rendition of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue.”
For those who have yet to discover Hadda Brooks, I’ve Got News For You is the perfect introduction (aside from seeing her live) to the music of one of this century’s most graceful and talented jazz personalities.
