Despite the attractions of cabaret, I can understand how on many of these so very frigid nights it was tempting to stay warm and snuggly under the covers.  But now that the temperature is easing back up, why not go to Under the Covers instead of staying under the covers?  Under the Covers --- that’s “covers” as in “cover songs” where a singer re-does material that was a success for someone else.  It’s not the usual tribute show cherry-picking songs from across a star’s whole career ---  we’re talking about taking an entire classic old vinyl album by an icon and doing all the songs. 

The directions to the artists taking on the classic albums are, I believe, the same as those careful instructions given by a character in Alice in Wonderland: “Begin at the beginning.  Go on, until you come to the end.  And then, stop.”

Things start on March 1 with two shows on the same night: Steven Ray Watkins taking the road once taken by Elton John, specifically Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, and the golden oldie of Neil Young’s After the Gold Rush with Sarah Mucho who regularly rocks the piano bar as staff singer at the venue where the series will take place: Don’t Tell Mama on West 46 Street, Manhattan’s Restaurant Row.  There’ll be many more saluted.  Like who?  Like The Who. What other choices can I share?  Cher.

There are some great pairings of the old days’ performers and today’s singers.  And speaking of pairings, one of the albums that paired Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong is on the list.  The concept was created and the participants were selected by Lennie Watts, reviving his successful, Nightlife Award-winning series he’d had success with in 2004.

We all have those albums we played over and over and over --- and in the days of vinyl, we had to turn them over for side 2.  For some people, it was People. My family, for example: the first Barbra Streisand album we had in our house was People. It made me a fan of the album and the lady.  I’m excited that it’s being done by a singer whose solo show I’ve been waiting for --- for a long time:  I’ve seen Wendy A. Russell sing a song here and a song there and I think she’s “one very special person” with a great voice and great instincts.  She can really dig into a song with sensitivity and passion.  Like Lennie, she can be heard singing a track on the Grace Notes live album, put out by (and including) singer Grace Cosgrove, who joins Under the Covers to present the songs from a Laura Nyro record.  Also on Grace Notes is Tracy Stark (a MAC Award-winning DTM piano bar established presence).  The object of her musical affection is Rickie Lee Jones.

Lennie recalled how the series began, back when he was at another now-gone club.  “The idea came out of a conversation with fellow performer Matt Leahy. I had just opened Mama Rose and was looking for projects to produce there. I had previously had an idea of different performers performing a record album like a revue. He had, at the same time, thought about a series of different artists doing tribute shows. I thought that if two of us came up with such a similar idea, it must be good.”  Matt is a participant with Don McLean’s American Pie LP his subject.  He points out a plus that came out of this then, something that you can bet will happen again, “It was a great way for performers to build an audience of folks that didn't already know them. People were coming to see shows because they loved the album, or the artist being covered. Several of the performers got quite a bit of mileage out of their shows. Mary Foster Conklin, Sarah Mucho and Sue Matsuki all went on to do their shows numerous times over the following years.”

Some singers chosen are switching gears, with two very different shows in March, one for this series and an unrelated gig.  Terese Genecco, MAC’s winner for Outstanding Female Vocalist last year, came to our attention saluting Frances Faye and still includes some of her songs in her shows on the last Tuesday of the month at the Iridium, celebrating her one-year anniversary of that regular gig tonight.  At Mama’s, she switches icons to Elvis Presley! One of the biggest-selling albums of its era was Rumours by Fleetwood Mac. MAC winner Shaynee Rainbolt tries that on for pop-rock size and has a jazz gig at The Sugar Bar on West 72 Street on March 9.  And Gretchen Reinhagen, who has been saluting Kaye Ballard and won the Nightlife Award for that show has a very different boisterous babe on her plate for this series:  Janis Joplin. But it’s not her first brush with that fireball.  Here’s what she had to say:

“My first real introduction to Janis Joplin wasn't until about ten years ago, when I was cast to play her in a summer stock production of Beehive. As I began exploring her music and, inevitably, the artist herself, I found myself so drawn to her unabashed, unapologetic truthfulness that came through every time she stepped onto a stage.   It was the kind of connection and truthfulness that I continually strive for as a cabaret artist, and she accomplished it with an audience of thousands.  Pearl was her last album and the one I've always most associated with her.  For me, it truly captures that essence -- that fearlessness -- which I find so powerful, and moving, and inspiring.”

Amy Wolk says this of her divine choice: “I have always loved and admired Bette Midler. In fact, I have always harbored a secret desire to be her.  I just love her freeness on stage, her ability to connect so deeply with her material, and her stage presence.  So, deciding to sing a Bette album was a no-brainer.  However, it was harder to choose the right album.  I really wanted to capture the energy of her early shows, as well as the variety in her song choices.  Who else can sing standards, rock songs, ‘50s girl group songs, and haunting ballads, all in her own unique style?  That's why I wanted to sing Divine Madness. I wanted to pay homage to my favorite performer with the biggest show I have ever done -- with a band, back-ups, etc.  I also wanted to show everyone why I admire her so much as a performer.  I also wanted to really take a risk, and not play it safe, because, frankly, Bette never does.  And that's the biggest reason why I admire her.”

Carole J. Bufford is not presenting the songs from one of her long-cherished albums or heroes at all.  “I was actually unfamiliar with the album I chose to cover, Randy Newman's Lonely at the Top. In fact, the only connection I had with Randy Newman was a brief memory of hearing the lyrics ‘Short people got no reason to live...’ at my elementary school variety show.  Being quite the short eight-year-old, I wondered what Mr. Newman had against me!  When I was reviewing countless albums trying to find the perfect one for Under the Covers, a good friend recommended looking at some Randy Newman material.  My no-longer-eight-year-old self was enthralled with the stories he told and his fantastically biting wit.  I now consider myself a huge fan!”

Asked if there was a dream project matching any singer in the world covering another performer, Lennie joshed, “I'd like to hear KT Sullivan's rendition of a Lady Gaga album...or vice versa for that matter!” When I asked if the participants would have patter to put the albums into some kind of perspective with music history, the famous artist's career and the cabaret singer's relationship to it, he replied, “I hope so. I think some folks are approaching the album historically, some will do more biographical material related to the original artist, and some will do neither.”  There are no ground rules there.

In the record business of yore, covering might have meant hewing close to the original and hoping lightning will strike twice in sales and radio play.  It may have led to a softer version, maybe aiming at a different target audience.  Some still cringe at Pat Boone’s homogenized Velveeta re-makes of gutsy records by R&B singers.  Who were all those folks hired to be Valiumizing The Beatles?  James Generic and his Vapid Orchestra with the Sappysweet Singers?  How about the days when every middle-of-the-road artist took the Top 40 songs of the last couple of months for their album tracks?  Don’t expect that kind of thinking here by any means!  Dusty records?  Not a chance, except in the case of the nights for Dusty Springfield, so to speak.

Re-thinking and re-inventing is encouraged.  Lennie added, “Everyone came up with their own ideas. I didn't want to get involved artistically. I set the ground rules, then got out of the way. I am directing a couple of them, but my intention was to have different types of shows with different approaches. The only rule is that they need to do the album from start to finish. They can cut songs if the album is too long, and they are allowed to add ‘bonus tracks’ if the album is too short. The way in which they approach the album is totally up to them.” He also commented, “I encouraged the performers to have fun and put their own spin and style on the material.”  And think of the advantages over listening to a record: no stylus-sticking in this stylish series, no pops in this pop festival, no clicks in this idea that’s sure to click with music-lovers.

I don’t think we’ll be seeing tacky treatments that spell loopy or out of the loop regarding the original intentions.  Well, hopefully there’ll be plenty of that on purpose in one case --- with the return of the spaced-out mock lounge act, the cheese that’s sure to please: The Lounge-O-Leers, a duo whose persona is meant to be clueless --- but here, not “Who-less.”  Tommy, can you hear me?  They’ll make The Who a hoot.  And for all, the tracks should be great to track for a real groove-a-thon.      

For the full schedule, have a peek at Don’t Tell Mama’s online March calendar, where you can also make reservations:

www.donttellmamanyc.com/reservations.php?month=3&year=2010

This column is made possible with the support of Jamie deRoy and friends

Jamie’s salute to the Academy Awards and movie songs is February 28 at Birdland at 6 pm (see display below). More info: www.Jamiederoy.com and www.BirdlandJazz.com for tickets.