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All Night Strut

All Night Strut image
Parent Issue
Day
12
Month
August
Year
1976
OCR Text

At the Music Hall

One of the most enjoyable evenings in town this past month has been a four-person song-and-dance group called The All Night Strut. Presenting some of the best and most memorable material from the 30's and 40's, The All Night Strut is virtually a trip down Memory Lane covering musical forms as diverse as jazz, bebop, ballads and opera.

The Strut (getting their name from Bessie Smith's immortal "Gimme a Pigfoot" of 1933) consists of four talented Clevelanders: Robert Chidsey, bringing memories of the young male tenor who was standard equipment tor big bands; Dean Hill, as accomplished a dancer as a singer, evidenced by his gymnastics in the musical interlude from "Minnie the Moocher" (1931, Cab Calloway at the Cotton Club); Elaine Psihountas as Bess, in a stunning rendition of a Porgy and Bess medley from the 1935 musical hit by George and Ira Gershwin; and Laura Robinson, who did wonderful justice to Ms. Smith's "Gimme a Pigfoot."

The first act started with "Chattanooga Choo Choo" (1941, recorded by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra), and included "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime" (first recorded in 1932 with Bing Crosby and Rudy Vallee, later popularized by Barbra Streisand); "In the Mood" (1938), which has been enjoying commercial attention recent years; "Fascinating Rhythm" (1924, an earlier number from the Gershwins, presented by Fred and his sister Adele Astaire in "Lady Be Good"), and the Ink Spots' "Java Jive" (1941).

 Act II contained such hits as Fats Waller and Louis Armstrong's "Ain't Misbehavin'," with some wonderful Armstrong trumpet imitations, especially from Ms. Robinson. "Operator," the gospel tune revitalized by Manhattan Transfer, another 30's-40's nostalgia song-and-dance group; Johnny Mercer's "Dream," sung by Frank Sinatra in 1944; "Bijou," from Woody Herman and Orchestra in 1945; and "Beat Me, Daddy, Eight to the Bar," a fine and funny song from 1940 originally sung by the Andrews Sisters.

The finale had "Hit That Jive, Jack" (1941), as sung by the late Nat "King" Cole; Charlie Parker's "Billie's Bounce" (1945), and one of 1932's finest, "It Don't Mean a Thing If It Ain't Got That Swing," from Duke Ellington and Orchestra. One could only marvel at the patience and diligence in choosing musical material, and the frustrating experience in having to weed out from the scores of wonderful and stirring music from that period.

Backed by a three-person bandTom Woehrmann on bass, Tom Fitt on piano, and Tony LaBianca on drumsThe All Night Strut was conceived, directed, and choreographed by Fran Charnas. It's in its final week at the Music Hall now.

—Sheri Terebelo