|
 Prudence Johnson
with Dan Chouinard
Sings from the Great American Songbook
News Article and Concert Review by TG
On Saturday,
December 15, 2007, The Homestead Community Concert Association
presented a program of American favorites from the middle of the
last century. This second presentation of the 31st season was a
delightful vocal and keyboard program that took “baby boomers”
and others on a journey through the Great American Songbook of
favorites by George and Ira Gershwin, Johnny Mercer, Hoagy
Carmichael, and Harold Arlen.
Prudence Johnson’s vocal career has taken her from
honky-tonks to Carnegie Hall, from the theater stage to the
Silver Screen, from the Mid-West to the Middle East. She is a
regular guest on Garrison Keillor’s A Prairie Home Companion
(National Public Radio stations across the country) and is a
“regular” in Robert Altman’s 2006 A Prairie Home Companion
movie. Her film credits include Robert Redford’s A River Runs
Through It in a role she says she was born to play -- a singer!
With her roots in folk and country music, Prudence developed
a passion for jazz and the work of the 20th century’s great
songwriters. Before the performance she told me her father was a
singer (church choir and weddings) so the influence was there
very young.
She is the producer of the CD and touring production Gales of
November, the producer of No Picnic Being Cheese, the producer
of the just-released fundraiser CD for Stepping Stone Theatre
for Youth Development, and she is the creator of A Girl Named
Vincent, which features musical settings of the poetry of Edna
St.Vincent Milley.
Dan Chouinard is a freelance pianist and accordionist (and an
occasional storyteller) performing and recording with many
artists such as Peter Mayer, Neal and Leandra, Maria Jette,
Peter Ostroushko, and for nearly two decades the accompanist and
co-performer with Prudence Johnson.
Dan is a frequent musical guest on Minnesota Public Radio (MPR)
including the aforementioned A Prairie Home Companion, and has
been the creator and host of several live concerts (later
broadcast statewide on MPR) including Mambo Italiano and the
sing along extravaganza All Together Now. His recent MPR show
Café Europa, a musical memoir of a summer’s travels in Europe
with bicycle, tent, and accordion, was aired on Twin Cities
Public Television. He has collaborated with several authors on
live broadcast events including Patricia Hampl and Krista
Tippet’s Speaking of Faith.
The program started with a favorite of hers “In the Cool Cool
Cool of the Evening”. The tempo was held back in a gentle almost
lazy style. My first thought was that we should all be sitting
much closer at small tables, sipping wine, she on a tall stool
by the piano singing to us. It was beautiful. Other songs in
this section included “Lazy River”, “Skylark”, and, “Hong Kong
Blues” from To Have and Have Not. This old Bogey and Bacall
story is about someone who is way laid in Hong Kong and instead
of “kicking #*&” ends up “kicking Budda’s gong”! The voice was
bright and “bluesy” with a piano Joplin-like ragtime interlude.
I asked Don during the intermission about this and his response
indicated it was no accident. He is a Scott Joplin fan. (I
chided Prudence that Don should play something alone on future
concerts. Little did I know what was to come in about a half an
hour.)
We then listened to an error filled child’s piano attempt at
“Heart and Soul.” Don was putting us on. Do any of you remember
playing, or trying to play, the I vi ii V7 I progression? Many
in the audience indicated they had. They got serious and
presented a wonderful rendition of this most well known song.
Next were selections from the American opera Porgy and Bess.
“Summertime” started out delicate and soulful with a light jazz
accompaniment underneath. Following a piano solo verse Prudence
sang an interesting variation on the original tune. Sportin’
Life’s tenor song “It Ain’t Necessarily So” where he riles the
“church folk” and Porgy’s bass song “I Got Plenty of Nuttin’”
are male solos. Prudence offered a unique timbre change from the
original. Her light lyric soprano version was well received and
this listener thoroughly enjoyed the difference!
The third set started with “Vodka”, a humorous tale of the
effects of drinking. The accordion accompaniment gave the piece
an ethnic wedding reception feeling. Next was a lovely gentle
lounge sound rendition of “Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me”. The
set ended with a light, bouncy version of “They All Laughed”
with some interesting “tone painting” where Don’s playing
reflected the text.
Don is a delightful soft-spoken man. During intermission he
told me he was one of six kids in a musical family. So as not to
have a musical war he and his brothers decided they would each
have “their song”. Don’s was “Rhapsody in Blue”. He told the
audience that over the years different versions resulted in the
presented shortened (and as he called it) “ADD” version.
Gershwin would have approved had he been present. The audience
loved it! Some interesting hand-crossing for you pianists out
there. Then we were back to the relaxed lounge sound with “My
Mamma Dun Told Me”. Prudence did some interesting vocal
improvisation. She became an instrument and also did a smidge of
“scat singing”. There were some very nice mellow low notes.
Remember she is a soprano.
The next set was songs by Harold Arlen. Harold who? Prudence
told a story of Harold in a taxicab where the cabbie was singing
his “Stormy Weather”. Harold asked the driver who wrote the song
and the cabbie responded: “George Gershwin.” Oops! We all got to
clap and sing along on this one.
The last set was from the Wizard of Oz. Prudence did a good
“witchy” vocal imitation of the Witch Of The North and then on
to a gentle soothing “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. By the end of
the song the audience was singing with her. “Ding! Dong! The
Witch Is Dead” was up tempo and energetic. Again the audience
jumped right in and sang along.
Now a big change of pace! We hummed along with a beautiful,
graceful, romantic (and in French) rendition of “La Vie en
Rose”. Prudence became our Edith Piaf. The program closed with
all of us singing “Case Sa Ra, Sa Ra” and “Enjoy Yourself, It’s
Later Than You Think”. Don got to sing in this last song. We
joined them and did “enjoy”. Prudence offered a future
possibility of a sing-a-long concert. Sounds good! Don is from
Minnesota and you could hear a bit of “Ya. Sure. Ya betcha!”
accent. He found a North Pole road sign in the warm-up room and
brought it onstage placing it by him at the piano. He said it
made him feel more at home (It was 18 degrees in Minnesota).
One expects the singer to have all or most of their material
memorized, and Prudence did. The surprise for me was that Don
also did the entire program from memory. In closing it must be
said again: this was a delightful presentation by two very
talented people. I just wish we all could have been right around
them, closer, friends sharing a common love of some of the best
popular music of an earlier era. Bye until next time.
The next concert is
Solid
Brass on Friday, February 8, 2008. |
