The Show
The second half of the show was nothing like what I had expected. Rather than an open mic or some kind of free-for all, there was instead a house band composed mostly of outside musicians, who performed sophisticated, fully scored arrangements of songs chosen by the evening's performers at least a month earlier. The instrumentation included Lesley Choy on accordion, Steve on guitar, along with electric guitar, double bass and what Lesley described as "remedial jazz basson."
The arrangements and the instrumentation gave the band an otherworldly, cabaret society-meets-Tom Waits 3:00 o'clock in the morning feel. In addition to songs there were also poetry readings, which were accompanied by music as well.
One performer named Russell (pictured below) read an original poem about a bird while the band played an instrumental version of the English ballad "The Three Ravens," with Lesley on accordion playing the lead.
Elizabeth (pictured, right)who has Down's syndrome sang the Barbra Streisand hit, "Evergreen." When I heard the band break into the opening phrases I was astonished, since the melody is full of hairpin turns, strange intervals and really high notes. But Elizabeth nailed all the intervals with seeming ease, and while she didn't quite make some of the high notes, it didn't really matter because her performance was passionate and quite moving. I felt my world shifting.
Elizabeth's dad (pictured below) also sang. In his rich baritone he delivered a rendition of "The Greatest Love of All" that was rhythmically loose but which had a sort of recitative quality that made me listen to the words for the first time.
I decided long ago, never to walk in anyone's shadows. If I fail, if I succeed at least I'll live as I believe.
No matter what they take from me They can't take away my dignity.
Because the greatest love of all Is happening to me I found the greatest love of all Inside of me.
A born diva, Phyllis several times expressed a desire to take on the popular American Idol contestant Antonella Barba. Phyllis had a commanding stage presence and held everyone spellbound with her rendition of "Sidewalks of New York"
Things have changed since those times,
Some are up in "G,"
Others, they are wand'rers,
But they all feel just like me;
They'd part with all they've got,
Could they but once more walk,
With their best girl and have a twirl
On the Sidewalks of New York.
East side, west side,
All around the town,
The tots sang "Ring-a-Rosie,"
"London Bridge is Falling Down."
Boys and girls together,
Me and Mamie O'Rourke,
Tripped the light fantastic,
On the sidewalks of New York.
I found out after the show that Steven and Lesley volunteer hours each month, meeting four or five times a week with residents to help them with their performances. I was struck by the contrast between this coffeehouse, with its emphasis on rehearsing and artistic quality for people who, because of their disabilities are never going to be perfectly in tune or in rhythm, with some of the really bad art I've experienced at folk clubs and open mics where there is no quality control whatsoever because it's not considered egalitarian or accepting to expect musicians to work on their act before subjecting others to it.
I had a feeling that there was a story behind this, so I decided to interview Lesley and Steven about the coffeehouse, their lives, and their approach to music.
Next: The Interview
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