Mercoledi Muscial

There was a time when New York was the thriving venue for the cabaret singer: Bloosom Dearie, Bobby Short, Julie Wilson, Hildegarde, Alberta Hunter, Hugh Shannon all graced the clubs that dotted Manhattan. Some played seasons at their favorite spot - Short was at the Cafe Carlyle for 36 years - others moved around from cabaret to cabaret performing at the Blue Angel, the Rainbow Room, Birdland, La Vie en Rose or the Persian Room.

Sadly there aren't many videos around of these wonderful performers and if truth be told they were better experienced live. Fortunately one of the greats Mabel Mercer was captured live in one of her last performances at Cleo's in New York. She would have been in her 80's when she recorded this set - there wasn't much of a voice left but there was the artistry and the astounding ability to communicate.

I believe that Time Heals Everything is one of the loveliest songs Jerry Herman wrote and I don't think anyone does as well as Mercer nor switches moods as quickly for a segue number.



And she could take a number as twee as Bob Merrill's Mira and make it magic.



Even a standard took on new shades of meaning when Mercer sang-spoke it.



Though she may not have been to everyone's taste, there was a reason that Frank Sinatra once said that she had taught him everything he knew about singing.

11 marzo - San Constantino

Salzbruger Zeitung - This and That

Well I've run out of Dwarves (or Dwarfs either can be used, don't you just love English!)and events in Salzburg and am still weeding through the 600 odd pictures we took on this trip. But here's few random thoughts, photos and observations.

Cafe Bazar from the street - inside and on the terrace you can find cakes and pastries that look as delicous as the wedding cake building.

• Cafe Bazar is still as I remembered it- the terrace overlooking the Salzach is a great place to have a coffee, pastry or a more substantial snack. They do a fine grilled ham and cheese but they don't call it Bazar Toast any more! I was looking forward to saying: ein Bazar Toast bitte! Was it just me it did it not taste quite the same.

This statue is in the Domplatz arcade - called The Cloak of Peace , I found it rather unsettling but beautiful.

• And speaking of bizarre - you really do have to love English - they still have that strange public washroom in the Domplatz arcade. There is a door marked Damen and another marked Herren but they lead to the same common toilet cabinets. You're only segregated for clean up purposes - it confuses the hell out of us poor tourists. And I swear its the same old lady tending the facilities as back in 1969 - she must be 200 by now and I'm not sure she ever sees the light of day. And how much do you give leave in her little basket? according the the sign in the Cafe Tomaselli WC E0.20 (CAD 0.30) is the standard.

This charming little chappie is carved into an armrest in one of the benches lining the great room in the Hohensalzburg Fortresss.

• And at the Cafe Tomaselli they still have sinfully rich pastries served by ladies in black dresses, white aprons and those heelless shoes that tie up over the ankle. You get your goodies from them and your coffee, apercol, snacks and ice cream from the waiters.

A ... ah... Neapolitan street scene in the Austrian mode. Where's the garbage?

• As pleasant contrast to the Summer very few of the windows in town flaunted Festival related material - a few tasteful pictures of Muti and the Festival poster but that was pretty much it. However the good burghers of the city decided to turn the Sigmund-Haffner Gasse into a Neapolitan street. There were folk groups singing in a very pretty little grapevine festooned kiosk, a very prominent Italian café and in true Neapolitan fashion washing was strung across the street. Though when we head to Napoli this weekend I'm not sure we'll see designer t-shirts and socks hung at a uniform distance on tautly strung lines. But then this is an Austrian idea of Neapolitan!

We never did find out the name of the band giving the Sunday morning concert in the Mirabel Gardens but they were very good.

• I remember Salzburg BSM - Before the Sound of Music - I won't say the film ruined the city but it made a big change in tourist demographics. Salzburg was no longer just the city of Mozart - the Von Trapps had become another saleable commodity. Even the famous Marionette Theatre - once known for their Mozart and ballet spectacles - now perform Sound of Music about 70% of the time. Well I guess you give the people what they want! But even without Mozart or the Von Trapps, Salzburg is a city that is very much full of the sound of music. As we went headed over to the Mozarteum for Sunday morning's matinee we followed a brass band into the Mirabel Gardens where they gave a very ambitious concert of Handel, Sibelius and... yes Hammerstein. The hills are alive!

23 maggio - San Desiderio