THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
THE TRANSATLANTIC MAGAZINE
American songstress and actress Melissa Errico performed her first of three evenings to a sold out audience at Crazy Coqs, a sublime, orbicular cabaret with a sort of living room appeal, and punters of discretionarily fine taste. Her audience drank her in like a restorative Absinthe in turn of the century France, poised for the bewitching pleasure to come. Indeed, Melissa delivered.
Errico graciously, and with humor, engaged late comers and deflected an exuberant guest who was so moved he was inclined to call out and dance. Melissa has been collecting zealots for many years including a gentleman in attendance called Gareth who has been going to see her perform for over 25 years after he first discovered her in New York. It also helps to be friends with the actor Alec Baldwin who went to Instagram encouraging fans to go see her, “Calling all fans of great singing (and I do mean GREAT) who are in London!!”
She can revivify a song that we have heard many times before, adding a new-found vitality. That’s no easy feat. Touring to introduce her new album, Out Of The Dark: The Film Noir Project with collaborations and four new songs by Michel Legrand, David Shire and the late Peter Foley, and lyrics by Adam Gopnik. She was meritoriously supported by Tedd Firth on piano, who traveled with Melissa from New York, and a coiffed and handsome musical quartet on loan from Ronnie Scott’s.
In the spirit of women such as Lauren Bacall and oozing Jessica Rabbit, Errico has full command of the evening. We all know the Maya Angelou quote "People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Her performance pushes the dark cloud on and leaves you feeling grand. Melissa Errico is a tonic, singing jazz and the blues but bringing the light.
