麻豆社

A Cahn Do.

听

Hackney Empire's association with the legendary lyricist and Sinatra song churner Sammy Cahn is not exactly inked in the annals of show-business, and if he had visited the revamped and re-beatified Matcham masterpiece, Mr Cahn would no doubt have rolled off the raked stage with delight at the rekindled glory of the place. Perhaps he would have written a quick lyric on the back of napkin in the Old Ship next door to restore his faculties. Maybe something like "Nothin' Hackneyed about Hackney" or possibly "You're my Empire", music by either Jule Styne or Jimmy Van Heusen (whoever was free).听 "....You're my Empire, you're everything to me. You're my Oyster, to take me to Hackney...."
听听Another venerated and garlanded lyricist does have a strong connection with the area, however, and he was there last Friday evening to compere an evening dedicated to Cahn. Don Black was born in Hackney and remembers being taken to the Empire as a 10 year old boy, wide eyed at the splendour and pomp spilling out of those ornate boxes, fearsome gargoyles and star-studded dome above. It was fitting he was with us to pay tribute to another master of words, and an opportunity for the audience, and you, to hear one wordsmith wax lyrical (literally) about another.

Gathered for this Friday Night Is Music Night special (let's use the snappy acronym FNIMN from now on) was the 麻豆社 Concert Orchestra, conductor Larry Blank, singers Alison Jiear, Lance Ellington, Curtis Stigers and me. I was asked by producer Ruth Beazley to write a little morsel to enlighten you in the process and intrigue involved in staging a show like this, so thank you Ruth but sorry everyone else. Here鈥檚 what happened.

Wednesday

Piano rehearsal with me, Lance, Ali and Larry gathered around the Steinway in the Broadcasting House studio (right at the top, with the bats and Ken Bruce鈥檚 hair). 3 part harmony to Bei Mir Bist Du Schoen worked out, with Lance and me very happy to just be an Andrews sister for a bit. All other songs were whisked through with brutal efficiency, peppered with Larry鈥檚 anecdotes and stories about Sammy Cahn and Billy May, and Anthony Cherry鈥檚 (he the boss) encyclopaedic knowledge of the songs and their historical context. Firm handshakes and see you tomorrows.

Thursday

Rehearsal at Hackney Empire with the full orchestra, bolstered by the best brass and wind players in the business to turn the Concert Orchestra into a Nelson Riddle style 鈥楿ltra Big Band鈥� (or Big Band Plus if you鈥檙e in marketing). Curtis appears and he and I reminisce about the time we met at Cheltenham Jazz Festival and we discussed whether it really was ok to wear sunglasses on top of ones head. The general consensus was 鈥榥o鈥� but we continue to do it.
The afternoon was just a joy, with all the singers, Larry and the band coming together and bringing out the best in those stupendous arrangements from Riddle, May and Larry himself. I was mostly an avid audience member (I didn鈥檛 even bring a book) as my trio weren鈥檛 arriving until the day of the show, so my reputation was rapidly improving with every song I didn鈥檛 sing. Curtis was sublime on Here鈥檚 That Rainy Day, Ali soared over the ballads and brought some much needed raunch to Teach Me Tonight while the unflappable Lance Ellington showed his grace and class on Only The Lonely. If you鈥檝e ever been lucky enough to watch music being made like this, at such a prime viewpoint, you鈥檒l know how many blessings we count when we get asked to be involved in something like this. With some well rehearsed jokes and some under-nourished puns flying around there was a heady atmosphere, and a well earned pint in the Old Ship afterwards reminded me that a pint doesn鈥檛 have to be well earned at all.

Friday

With one more rehearsal and one more chance to try to tap all the remaining juice from these incredible songs, we were back at the Empire for a run through. My band turned up (you鈥檇 think this would be a given but it鈥檚 sometimes touch and go) and in the orchestral break we ran through I Fall In Love Too Easily and my attempt to bring High Hopes out of that Sinatra-plus-loud-children version we all have in our heads and with Tom and Ben adding serene backing vocals I knew the arrangement would work. Don arrived to prepare his introductions and interjections, and being the seasoned pro he is, read through a few and said 鈥渢hat鈥檒l be fine鈥�.

So, to the performance. We donned our best bib and tucker (never understood that phrase) and with the lip buzzes, wailing glissando and 鈥淎yyaayyyayayyayy鈥漵 unique to the Singer鈥檚 Warm-up, we were ready to give Sammy the tribute his lyrics deserve. I would so love to have met him, as not only was he responsible for many of the greatest, most beloved songs of all time, he was also connected to Sinatra in a way that very few others can claim to be. I鈥檇 just like to hear some of the stories.

You can now hear for yourself the entire FNIMN concert, and if you鈥檝e never heard a Sammy Cahn lyric, just enjoy the effortless charm, wit and style, and at times chilling emotion of those succinct, eloquent and perfect words.

To leave you in peace, I鈥檒l sign off with a suitably hackneyed (or Hackneyed) phrase:

They don鈥檛 write them like that anymore.