The Elrocco Jazz Cellar is a charming “underground” venue at the fringe of the Cross, featuring a wide variety of attractions from Jazz, Vaudeville, Stand-up Comedy and contemporary arts presentation. One of those venues where you can just stroll in and let yourself be entertained or just hang around in the upstairs bar for a leisurely drink and a bite to eat. The night I happened to discover this hidden treasure El Rocco offered Mathew Loeser doing the Irving Berlin thing.
Loeser is a flamboyant, quirky and at times even very funny entertainer. With his fresh and youngish look he engages his audience from the very first song. May be he should not have started with the song that gave his show its title. Sure, Puttin it on the Ritz can be called one of the very “famous” Irving Berlin tunes. The problem is that we have heard numerous versions of this pearl. Some of them made the interpreters to instant stars. Just think of Taco’s cross-over version in 1982. And who wants to beat Fred Astaire? Or even Clark Gable showing off his singing and tap-dance credibility with just that song. To start with “Ritz” sets the standard for the evening and dims the expectation.
Loeser arranges his tribute loosely around Berlin’s autobiography. In the very beginning of his performance he tells us, that Berlin wrote over 1500 songs. He mentions that there might not be enough time to hear them all in this show but he would try his best. And so he does. After 30 minutes we have already heard 18 songs. And there the problem starts. Many of Berlin’s songs need movement and action. A man alone behind a piano and a microphone has not much chance to jump up and do a summersault, break into a tap routine and engage his audience with unexpected variations.
Maybe Loeser transforms too many different tunes into medleys? The bridges from one song to the other often sound a bit clumsy. His training as a theatre organist may be the reason behind his heavy-handed treatment of a grand piano keyboard. His voice has a crisp lyrical tone, however, more confident pitch on the high notes and a warmer timbre in the lower registers would help his crooning a lot.
If Mathew Loeser would aim to conquer all 1500 Berlin songs in one mammoth concert the flashing world news headlines would probably be all his. Until then, he hopefully will continue to polish his skills and turn a raw opal into a multi-coloured piece of art. His obvious enthusiasm, passion and profound knowledge of his material deserve respect. Loeser for sure is one to watch in the future.
Matthew Loeser performed his cabaret show PUTTIN ON THE RITZ- THE MUSIC AND LYRICS OF IRVING BERLIN at the El Rocco Jazz Cellar, Kings Cross Sydney for one night only on Tuesday 27th September, 2011.
© Markus Weber
29th September, 2011
