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The Cabaret is a very special place, a thing you wouldn't expect to find in Indianapolis: a beautiful performance venue focused on the greatest Broadway and cabaret artists, a vibrant public-private partnership model, with an engaged and enthusiastic audience. These two joyous shows were a great return for me after two and a half years, and also the inauguration of my tenure as an Artist-in-Residence, which will translate to much more frequent trips to Indy and a real deep dive into local singers and musicians to lift up and to collaborate with.
Originally, this concert had been announced with two other singers, but they both had exciting other opportunities and I know that when I hire amazing stars, I have to be prepared to pivot if something comes up. Fortunately, I have some pretty great players on the bench: Ashley Pérez Flanagan has been part of the JRB family for several years now, performing with us at 54 Below and the Cathedral of St John the Divine in addition to being an original cast member of The Connector (and a sensational replacement Robin for the last two weeks of the run). She's got an otherworldly voice, extraordinary musical instincts, and a beautiful vulnerability, and I was very lucky to get her on board when we did our concert in Montclair in February. To my great relief, Ashley was able to step in for Indianapolis as well, and she'll definitely be touring with us plenty in the future!
I had a lot more trouble finding the other singer, and several of my usual reliable folks were tied up with other projects, so I had to take a leap. I'd never met or worked with Tamika Lawrence, but her reputation was solid gold, and when I watched some clips online, I was totally sold. So, with only three weeks to go before the show, I reached out to Tamika, and she happily jumped on board the JRB train.
But reputation and video clips are not guarantees, and this material is very specific and can be really challenging, even for seasoned professionals. The first opportunity I had to meet with Tamika was just two days before the Indianapolis concert. and I think we were both a little anxious. And then, in a tiny rehearsal room near Lincoln Center, I played the opening vamp to "I Can Do Better Than That," and she opened her mouth, and what came out was magic. Not just a fantastic voice, but a deep and rich musicality and a truly personal and detailed approach to the lyrics. I think the crowd in Indianapolis can confirm what a glorious fit Tamika is with my songs. She's in the family now!
Even though the Cabaret has a relatively small stage, it was a great space for my musicians to continue to build their connection to these songs and each other. It's been such a pleasure hearing how they've grown and adapted and made this music their own in the eight months since we first played together at Groton Hill.
More concerts to come this summer, including Sag Harbor and Kingston NY, with stops this fall in Birmingham, St. Louis and Los Angeles!
Hope from How We React and How We Recover (2018)
KPR (2022)
Shiksa Goddess from The Last Five Years (2002)
ASHLEY: Another Life from The Bridges of Madison County (2013)
TAMIKA: I Can Do Better Than That from The Last Five Years (2002)
The Voice of My Generation from The Connector (2024)
It All Fades Away from The Bridges of Madison County (2013)
TAMIKA & JRB: The Shed Shack from Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (2024)
Boat from Less (2021)
SIERRA: Cassandra from The Connector (2024)
NASIA: Zohra’s Song from Less (2023)
The Western Wall from The Connector (2024)
Wait Til You See What’s Next from How We React and How We Recover (2018)
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All Things In Time from How We React and How We Recover (2018)
JRB: piano & vocal
Ashley Pérez Flanagan: vocals
Tamika Lawrence: vocals
Alison Shearer: flute, saxes and percussion
Jamie Eblen: drums, percussion and guitar
Hidayat Honari: electric and acoustic guitars
Sam Minaie: electric and upright basses
photography by Dave Pluimer