Leslie Lewis Shows Off Her Vocal Range and Soulful Style in Seal Beach

Despite the loud sports bar vibe of Kobe Japanese Steakhouse in Seal Beach on recent night, singer Leslie Lewis was able to put on performance that showcased her vocal range and soulful style.

The Gerard Hagen jazz quartet began with Thelonius Monk’s tune “Rhythm,” played uptempo and spirited.  Hagen’s ensemble featured Paul Johnson on drums, Dominic Genova on bass, Joey Sellers on trombone and Chuck Manning on saxophone. This was followed by “I Thought About You” and for their third tune,  “In A Sentimental Mood,” a beautiful old standard played three-quarter waltz-time.   Manning (on saxophone) performed an outstanding solo, as smooth and colorful as a pansy’s delicate petals. 

Equally colorfully, Lewis entered with a voice as bright and multi-faceted as a spring rainbow. She opened with a rousing, soulful “Stormy Monday Blues” followed by a bossa nova arrangement of “Where or When.”  Lewis told us that song was one of her favorites and used it to show off her four-octave range, sliding up and down the scale with ease and perfect pitch.  Lewis exhibited amazing control and good vocal technique, although she professeed to never having studied either.  When I listen to her, I hear tinges of British chanteuse Cleo Laine’s exotic style.  “Love Me or Leave Me” was played uptempo, similar to Nina Simone’s amazing recording, with the horns both punchy and sweet.

Hagen (her piano accompanist and husband) gets the credit for most of the well-written arrangements.  Lewis showed off rich scat capabilities on almost all her swing and blues tunes.  It was wonderful to watch her finally settle down with a lovely ballad entitled, “So Gentle Is My Love,” a Nancy Wilson recording.  

Lewis’s rich alto register caressed the tones and she sang each lyrical phrase as though she meant every word. There are plenty of good singers around town, but to make the audience believe you when singing the lyrics and actually "sell the song" is an art all its own.  Lewis paints pictures with her voice.

Unfortunately, Lewis’ voice had competition. The Kobe stage has blinking, colored spotlights that are somewhat distracting and the double sided open bar area is obnoxiously loud most of the time with sports televised during the band performances. If you like sports, you’ll enjoy the noisy bar and televised programs.  If you’re a music buff like I am, it’s seems disrespectful to the artist to have (during a tender ballad) a sudden burst of screams because somebody’s team scored a point or two.

Kobe used to offer a jazz ambience, providing an electric grand piano and low lit bar.  Now musicians have to lug in whatever they need and the vibe has gone from jazz to reggae, funk, rock and R&B.  On any given night, you’re not certain what you’ll get, but you can pick up a sheet that advertises upcoming groups as you walk in.  The establishment does have an adequate sound system and the Japanese menu is diverse with food reasonably priced and deliciously prepared. 

Service was slow that Sunday evening I attended.  However, the music was anything but slow. After “So Gentle Is My Love,” Lewis featured Johnson, the drummer, swinging hard on “Like Someone in Love” with only percussion to support her through the first part of the tune.  Johnson was peppy and punchy on his trap drums in all the right spots.  Lewis traded eights with the saxophonist (Manning) and then the trombonist (Sellers).   For those who are music novices, that means she scatted her way through eight bars of music and then let the horns answer her with equal time. 

Lewis sings with syncopation, taking chances with time, much like one does in gospel music.  There’s a freedom about her when vocalizing, which, of course, works with a jazz presentation.  After all, jazz is based on playing free and improvising on a theme.

Lewis featured the bassist (Genova) on her next tune.  He set the tempo and got the Juan Tizol composition (with lyrics by Irving Mills) rolling smoothly along.  This song, made famous by Duke Ellington in 1937, is today a jazz standard that’s even been sampled by rap artists like Busta Rhymes and used in two Woody Allen movies. But I thought “Caravan” got a little too busy on the ending.  Lewis seemed unaffected by all the musical obstructions and flew atop the melee with confidence and charm. 

Her first set closed with “Come Rain or Come Shine” which started out rubato and wound up a hot, swing arrangement.  Johnson added an outstanding drum solo.  The song wound down towards the end, with Lewis’s bell-clear tones and Hagen’s surprising tempo changes adding interest and musicality to the presentation.  The packed room gave them a thunderous ovation and as I exited, I noticed Lewis selling CDs non-stop.  All in all, it was a great, very entertaining evening. Check out their website for upcoming events.  surfcovejazz.com