Just a few weeks ago, from the former site. we talked about the Nasal Quality of the Recording of Promises, Promises..and Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous....For a review of this concert which I attended...This is definitely Nasal in quality. Not only that, since I have the copy of the DVD of her concert at NY Syracuse..let's just say..this one is but also a carbon copy of that..a template. An attendee , like me just have to relax, and watch the other nuances that will differ this concert from the DVD. Well, for once, this concert while indoor, the weather is just fine ...in the DVD , it rained hard , people are unable to clap hands and sing-a-long to "What the World Needs Now is Love " song. Everybody is all ears to her, singing with gusto...started easily with Walk On By...you know right away that the audience is with her , enjoying along the way. However, Dionne sings not in FULL VOICE. In Opera parlance, I always attend dress rehearsal, and the lead Tenor or Soprano always sang not FULLY, because they do not want to strain their voice for the actual performance. This is how the most of the songs were delivered to Kaiser. But of course, she cannot retain it all the way, songs like Brazil and the soaring part of I Know Ill Never Love Again, needs to be FULL VOICE. There, she gave it a go--to go FULL VOICE. Dionne is very much relaxed here, still a commanding presence. Wearing a diaphanous brown blouse to match. the dark brown underneath the blouse and long brown pants. The blouse hemlines are littered with glowing star-like flickering sequins (almost like diamond sparkles). Glitters come with floral arrangements and very thin and elongated green leaves. She quiet a sight to behold. Her hair remains the same as in Syracuse. I notice that she is keeping the Bostonian pianist now. Did she break her association with Joe Kloess? Her main music man, that used to work with Jack Jones? Dunno. As the DVD, her son David Elliot is out with 3 duets with mom. I likened his voice to Major Harris , remember him (Love Won't Let Me Wait)? Luther once paid homage to him on one of his popular songs CDs. However, this is not hip-hop, and mostly this kind of style sort of not in vogue, Proponents like Peabo Bryson and Osborne, and the likes are all not doing well currently. If David wishes to follow this route, it will be difficult...but backbround work like production may make him really as Force in the Business, as her mom proudly proclaimed. Dionne's repertoire now are mostly Bacharach, and reduced to an hour. Where before, I watched her in other concert, login a full ninety minutes of songs. I th ink this is good. She is like going like cabaret style of a singer now. Really trying to give feeling to songs, instead of lumping the BB songs into whirlwind of medley of songs. You no longer cannot enjoys songs like A House is not Home without its proper delianeation---singing the song in full as opposed to medley.
I still would like to see Dionne sing in that kind of setting. Intimate and free, easy, and relaxed. Very sure of herself. I could not hear her monologue, but seeing the DVD, I am sure it follows the same line formula. For Dionne this is always a recipe. Repeated also throughtout the history of her career. It is etched in vinyl and read by laser beams. Like like " ..that you've heard by others, but I am going to sing it anyway...or if any of your sould begins to dance...I won't stop you, but watch! ). Ad nuseam.
After the concert. I watched some memorabilia being sold at the reception area. I bought my so-called Platinum package, fifty bucks, consisting of a 2004 Calendar feat. her Album Covers, her career photogra[hs of friends, and a double cd of her limited edition of CELEBRATING 40 YEARS. From the look of it, it is selling like hotcakes. If you are interested to know, the CD are Arista Tracks Selections. This is the duet 2CDs we are anticipating last Valentine. That one goes on sale on the Christmas holiday. We hope this time it will materialize. -DARIO DARII
