Big Man With A Big, Beautiful Tone
Went to see Kevin Mahogany last Saturday in the good old Rosendale Theatre for the Jazz in the Valley series and I was blown away by his vocals and his trio. With a warm, charming, baritone voice, Mahogany maneuvered in and out of his savory rhythm section with an effortless grace. And man, can the brother scat? His rendition of Duke Ellington’s “Taking the A Train” is like the male version of Ella Fitzgerald in term of versatility in vocal range and manipulation. I went crazy when he imitated the bass sound and interacted with his young, and talented bass player. The most exhilarating part of the concert was when he made beatbox and and drummer had to repeat what he just improvised. His pianist is not only a virtuosi player, but a damn fine babe too (you don’t get to see a blondie with that kind of talent too often). She simply took my breath away with her gorgeous solos, especially when she’s all into it. Sorry I can’t recall the name of his players, but if you get a chance to see Mahogany and his musicians, you’ll be a for a real good time. He has a sense of humor too. The man with such a fabulous voice deserves the compliment from Newsweek as “the standout vocalist of his generation.”