The Subject: Cerritos Center performance tonight At 01:29:07 on 09/27/06, sandy t. (soyarra@yahoo.com) wrote:
Just returned from Kenny's concert at the Cerritos Center for Performing Arts, and it was, in a word, awesome. My ticket was a gift from my sister, who like me has been a KR fan since the late '70s. We expected a great show, but this was unreal! We've both seen Kenny before over the years, in small clubs and in large venues, but neither of us could remember him being so loose, so garrulous (but in a totally hilarious way) and so willing to share fascinating autobiographical anecdotes with the audience. Mr. Rankin was in rare form indeed -- his voice sounded wonderful ("clear as a bell," as my mom would say), his backing group is superb, and except for one or two omissions of what I consider his essential songs ("Bluesette," "Misty Roses" for me, "Silver Morning" and "In The Name Of Love" for my sis), the set list was pretty damn near perfect.
High points for me were my *favorite* KR cover "When The Sun Comes Out" (which was so gorgeously done I wanted to scream), incredible versions of "Haven't We Met?," "'Round Midnight" and "Peaceful," and a stark but chillingly beautiful rendition of "On Broadway," which was punctuated with the minimalist playing of his saxophonist (whose name I can't remember!). Really wonderful.
But the songs which moved me the most were a lovely "Spanish Harlem" which was suffused with evocative nostalgia, and a medley which segued fluidly from Laura Nyro's "Time and Love" to Lennon and McCartney's "Penny Lane," to Frankie Lymon's "Why Do Fools Fall In Love?" to George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." These last songs were affecting and performed with such sweetness and love it was almost painful, but what brought me almost to tears was the inclusion of the Nyro song, one of my all-time favorites. Kenny sang it with such delicacy and respect and joy -- ahh. It was great, and a wonderful tribute to her memory.
The thing is, though -- we kept marvelling at how amazing his voice still sounds after all these years. His phrasing, his tone, his breath control, his mastery of melody and rhythm -- it is astonishing. He is literally one of the best singers I've ever heard in my life (and boy, this theatre really did it justice -- great sound and acoustics!). This was a great experience -- all we could do afterward was shake our heads and mutter, "Awesome -- awesome." And it was.
