WINTER RHYTHMS: Legends that "Muse" Me - Part 1 Tickets

Four vocalists perform an eclectic program of songs inspired by their favorite legendary singers and songwriters. Featuring: Maria Corsaro (Carmen McRae), Lionel Shockness (Stephen Sondheim), Eva Steinberg (Peggy Lee) and Leslee Warren (Duke Ellington). Skip Ward on bass. Musical Director: Gregory Toroian. Vocalist Maria Corsaro believes Carmen McRae to be one of the most influential jazz vocalists of all time - right up there with Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughn. McRae is known for her connection and interpretation of the lyric, her phrasing, and her earthy vocal tone. This four-song set consists of a ballad, bebop, bossa, and swing.

New York City native Lionel Shockness has been a longtime regular on the city's cabaret scene with appearances at Sweetwater’s, Don't Tell Mama, The Duplex, and Pangea. Over many years of working as a psychotherapist, Lionel has been inspired by the way Sondheim captures the tenderness and complexity of the human condition. He creates beautiful poetry with all of life’s grief, loss, sorrow, and profound joy! Listening to Sondheim, we can embrace this life with all its seeming contradictions and ambivalences. Sondheim allows us to see our humanity in song.

Eva Steinberg returned to the cabaret stage last year after a 20-year absence with her show, Not Your Mama's Peggy Lee, an exploration of Lee's lesser-known material and a reexamination of some of her classic songs. Eva is happy to share a selection of these songs with you tonight.

Vocalist Leslee Warren is a fan of the art, music, and style that Duke Ellington brought to the Harlem Renaissance. These songs reflect the jazz and joy and sleek blues of an unforgettable era. Leslee is also in the studio working on a recording of her debut solo show, Me Myself & Eye: Songs of a Nearsighted Girl.