Venture forth, laddy! ... and so Al does...

Submitted by Al Kanovsky 3/20/13

Tuesday, Buddy Bill called to let me know that Nanami Morikawa would be at the Blue Martini in Kendall. Kendall is further than the Funky Biscuit for me but the opportunity to hear Nanami is one not to be missed. Venture forth, laddy!!!. All of the Blue Martini's are laid out so that band lovers can enjoy the music from anywhere. Especially the bar. The stage, ala the Metropole (used to be) in New York and our own beloved(and now gone) O'Hara's is set up high and in front of the bar. Bar-flys as well as table-sitters can see and hear the band. The house band in Kendall calls themselves the Mr. K Band. Steve Kirkland (tenor/alto/flute), Hal Roland (keys/vocals) Cayo Imaraldo (bass) and Abner Torres at the drum kit. This is a JAZZ band. They played couple and then invited their guest, Nanami, to the stage. She opened with an up tempo "Cheek to Cheek". Later on in the set a very confident and capable, Nanami, chose "Bluesette" to show her "chops". Tough song for a vocalist but she had it "down". In the second set she chose an equally challenging "East of the Sun" and wowed even me. Her "Night and Day" was electrifying and displayed her talent of using her voice as a horn. During the break a gentleman by the name of Andy Mirowitz, approached Nanami to thank her for doing that song. It seems that his daughter, Molly Asher, sang it in a film.

Howard Duperly of WDNA, 88.9FM, MC'd the show. WDNA is in the midst of their membership drive. JAZZ lovers can get the details at WDNA.com. "What A Little Moonlight Can Do" opened with Nanami and Abner alone, and then-----the band joined in and raised the proverbial roof. Additionally she has great "scat' skills  Ms. Morikawa's "Man I Love" was as beautiful as any I've ever heard. Nanami has a habit of humming the chord changes and sometimes scatting to others solos under her breath. You have to pay close attention to hear it but just watching her lips is sometimes enough. The Mr. K band made the trip worthwhile as well. A long ride home but the "Real" Tracy Fields,WLRN 91.3 was there with me, "All the Way".

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