Warwick's charm endures (and a Burt tribute in May)

[An Enormous BB Fan]

From: http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/ ... e6bd245dc1

I added a few comments in brackets in the following article.

Warwick's charm endures
Ted Shaw, Windsor Star
Published: Saturday, January 10, 2009

The voice of a generation is worn with age, but the songs that made Dionne Warwick famous haven't lost a bit of their charm.

The 68-year-old singer performed the first of two concerts at Caesars Windsor Colosseum on Friday. A second show is scheduled for tonight at 9 p.m.

Beginning with her first major hit, Walk On By, Warwick sang just about every song for which she's famous. [Note: The author obviously didn't do his homework, since Walk On By wasn't Dionne's first major hit. "Don't Make Me Over" was.]

The bulk of her hits were made in the 1960s and 1970s, including Walk On By, I Say a Little Prayer, and Do You Know the Way to San Jose.

Her name is most associated with that of songwriter Burt Bacharach, who penned most of the early hits. Warwick's whispery, idiosyncratic vocals are all but inseparable from Bacharach's songs.

Backed by a superb six-piece band that included a grand piano and two synthesizers, Warwick seemed relaxed and at home on the huge Colosseum stage.

After Walk On By, Anyone Who Had a Heart and Message to Michael in full, she sang a medley of shorter arrangements of other popular favourites, including I'll Never Fall In Love Again.

A touching, intimate version of the theme from Alfie was one of the evening's highlights.

Another was a duet with her son, David Elliott, of I Say a Little Prayer, which ended with a gospel-like call-and-response between mother and son.

Warwick revealed she is now living in Brazil, and sang a medley that included Antonio Carlos Jobim's Corcovado and Wave. It was followed up by a samba reworking of one of Warwick's biggest songs, Do You Know the Way to San Jose.

In later years, some of Warwick's interests outside of music have taken precedence. Her charity work included recording That's What Friends Are For for the American Foundation for AIDS Research in the mid-1980s.

Of a lesser note, she was the mouthpiece through much of the 1990s for a series of infomercials for the Psychic Friends Network, an organization she has cut ties with.

Her career in recent years, however, has been making something of a comeback, primarily on the strength of a new generation's interest in the Bacharach catalogue [NOTE: This may be due to dibotis's channel on youtube, and thanks to Warner, they made him remove everything! But this proves what I said, I think: that youtube was a great vehicle for showcasing Burt's music to newer generations]. She appeared with Bacharach in 2006 on American Idol to sing Walk On By.

In May, she will participate in a gala tribute to the songwriter in New York City. [Note: How interesting! Does anyone know about this tribute to Burt? ]

While the voice had lost some of its lustre, Warwick never had a showstopping style.

Even early in her career, she was an interpreter, and in her affecting performance of Alfie, that quality shone through.

The audience warmly received every stop along the way, but at one point during the band's introduction, Warwick had to prod them to applaud louder.

[steveo_1965]

nice post, enormous! ty

Steveo

[Hank]

I have my tickets for B.B. King's in NY next Friday. Looks like a cozy venue and I am psyched !

[An Enormous BB Fan]

I have my tickets for B.B. King's in NY next Friday. Looks like a cozy venue and I am psyched !

Burt played that same venue last year.

[heartlight]

In this piece, there is mention of Dionne participating in a gala tribute to Burt in May.
Does anyone have any further info about this gala ? Private affair ? Open to the public ?
Thanks !

[ron hertel]

heartlight:

May 18th in New York City - info @ this website www.92Y.org Spring Gala - features Burt Bacharach, Dionne Warwick, Elvis Costello and others

Ticket info. as well

Ron

[heartlight]

Thanks very much, Ron ! I'll check it out.
Barbara

[Toms1234]

Hard to believe with all the touring Dionne does and millions of records sold she would be in this stituation.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/0 ... 85424.html

[johnfoyle]

http://www.observer.com/2009/daily-tran ... eet-y-gala


May. 19, 2009


Steven Weber Gets Glitzy Guests All Wet at Splashy 92nd Street Y Gala

By Caitlin Keating
May 19, 2009 | 6:00 p.m


Actor Steven Weber stood outside the 92nd Street Y on Monday, May 18, as a procession of luxury cars pulled up, unloading finely dressed guests for the Y's annual benefit gala.

"It is going to be an incredible evening," said Mr. Weber, the event's emcee, rattling off the names of the many luminaries scheduled to make an appearance: "Costello, Warwick, Dash, Jackson, O’Hara, Pagano, Dorn, Hall..Burt!”

The theme of the evening: “What the World Needs now… Featuring The Music of Burt Bacharach.”

Mr. Weber put one of his hands in the side pocket of his well-fit suit, promising, “There isn’t going to be one dry eye or one empty seat in the house!”

Later, on stage, Mr. Weber would thank the Y "for turning me into the man I am today," adding, "You’ll be hearing from my lawyers.”

Couples strolled arm-in-arm, sipping champagne, as they filed into a marble hallway filled with enormous white orchids, leading them into the vast performance hall.

Fredric Mack, president of the Y, thanked donors for being so generous, especially this year. "Giving is just not as easy now," he said. Mr. Mack and wife Tami Mack joined fellow gala chairs Helen and Bob Appel, Dana and Michael Goldstein, Lori and Marc Kasowitz, on stage to say a few words about the place's importance.

The crowd clapped and cheered as the singer Dionne Warwick took the stage, leaned against the piano and said, “It is a pleasure to be here. I flew in from Brazil this morning so you’re looking at a very tired women.” Ms. Warwick went on to perform "Walk On By” and "Anyone Who Had a Heart."

Mr. Weber later came out singing “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head,” spraying water on people in the first few rows and potentialy ruining all those fancy, freshly done Upper East Side hairdos.

Sarah Dash and John Pagano performed a duet; her bright gold dress glarefully shimmering upon the glittery stage.

Jill O’ Hara joined the Young Peoples Chorus of New York, receiving numerous applauds upon utterings the first few words of “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again.”

Elvis Costello sat in the last row, one hand on his lap, and the other massaging his forehead, as Cheyenne Jackson performed. When it came time for his own performance, Mr. Costello glided around the stage, covering Mr. Bacharach’s “God Gave Me Strength.”

Later, Mr. Costello offered a few thoughts about the heralded songwriter: “I can honestly say the music is beautiful and erotic, which is not something people usually call his music, but we’re all adults here, so I can say that.”

Mr. Bararach himself closed out the evening, slowly sitting down to a piano and launching into "Alfie," which brought on the longest applause of the night, and a standing ovation.