Pamela Hart Shines in Her Performances of Lady Day!
Tuesday, June 15th, 2010Austin, TX – June 15, 2010 – I fell in love with you the first time I looked into/Them There Eyes/And you have a certain lil cute way of flirtin’/With Them There Eyes . . .
. . . Any fan of the Legendary Songstress, Billie Holiday recognizes these are the lyrics to the popular ditty, Them There Eyes and is a perfect selection to open a performance haled as a Tribute to Lady Day, as Billie Holiday came to be famously known. This is exactly what Pamela Hart, Austin’s First Lady of Jazz elected to do for her starring performance in Lady Day: A Tribute to Billie Holiday which was masterfully presented on Sunday, June 13th at Austin’s One World Theatre.
Pamela has performed alongside the best of them as part of her Women In Jazz Concert Series. Do the names Nancy Wilson, Dianne Reeves and Rachelle Ferrell call to mind thoughts of musical grandeur? None would argue Ms. Hart is a mesmerizing singer as she demonstrates her natural skills time and time again, leaving audiences craving more. So the obvious progression is to respond to eager audiences with a Show developed just for them, with enormous amounts of “Pamela Hart” personality, plenty of soothing instrumentation done right and of course, the voice of Pamela Hart singing the songs for which her voice was created and made popular by an artist she’s admired for years.
From the moment the petite songstress took to the stage, the audience knew the anticipation was worth every anxious minute. Pamela’s voice was in perfect form; she truly owns her voice. Accompanied by the well-known James Polk Quintet, who truly understands her gifts, Pamela seemed to be riding on a floating carpet as she performed her favorite Billie Holiday classics, in custom-made arrangements to perfectly and eloquently showcase her voice and showmanship. The Quintet was always the perfect support, able to keep up with Pamela as she floated between key changes, tempos and melodies.
The excited audience raved as Pamela flirted with and engaged them with her contagious smile and childlike energy. She has a keen understanding of the lyrics she sings and incorporates just the right amount of “her” to make the performance believable, as if she actually experienced them at some time. Good Morning Heartache is a classic done by, well, just about everyone in secular music and Pamela, seemed to hypnotize the audience as she paused, collected her spirit and then summoned every bit of self to perform this classic. It seemed no one in the audience dared to take a breath. And rightly so as the noise from the exhalation, or the energy it took to do so, may have interrupted the performance.
The encore performance of God Bless The Child was most appropriate. Pamela was accompanied by renowned Violinist Sara Driver of the Austin Lyric Opera and had changed into a flowing custom gown which made her appear as a musical angel as she interpreted the meaningful and poignant lyrics. Ms. Driver’s talent was an excellent accompaniment, adding an element of mystery and haunting.
It was an enchanted evening to be in the presence of greatness. Despite her greatness, Pamela is most humble and gracious. She is a songstress who understands her craft, while at the same time valuing the support from those around her. Many of the musicians with whom she works know this and welcome every opportunity to work with her. Pamela lets them shine; often encouraging them to do so.
Ms. Hart is set to star in It’s Ella: A Tribute to Ella Fitzgerald on Sunday, August 15th, again at One World Theatre where audiences will again experience more of her versatility. How thrilled local fans are that Pamela calls Austin her home because of the opportunity of regularly experiencing her talent. Those who live elsewhere, be thankful for CDs, YouTube and Facebook. Stay tuned Ms. Pamela Hart will be personally coming to a location near you and trust, it’ll be an experience you don’t want to miss.
Visit the Official Site of Pamela Hart at www.PamelaHart.com!
