As Reviewed by JOE REGAN

TIMES SQUARE CHRONICLES, September, 2012

Clark Warren whom I first met when we both apprenticed in the late 50s at the Westport Country Playhouse, re-surfaced in my life when I saw him appear at one of Stu Hamstra’s special cabaret celebration. I didn’t know him as a singer then, but it seems he has been singing throughout his entire life, and especially during his military career as part of the Third Army Special Services appearing live at 13 military bases. I know he is constantly performing at senior citizen residences and hospitals in the area. Now he has released a new CD, Lucky So and So (SnowBert Records), and will be participating in a special CD launch show Saturday, September 22 at the Metropolitan Room in New York City.

      First of all, let me state Warren, of a certain age when some singers voices deteriorate, sings like a young singer, at times sounding like the great Mark Murphy when he was younger, about the time that Warren and I met. There is no lowering of keys and there is a casual way with a lyric that communicates every word with an accomplished actor’s phrasing. He has had the skill of assembling a superb set of musicians for the album. There is his musical director/pianist/arranger Franklin Underwood whose piano (and vocal harmony on some tracks), demonstrate he is a brilliant musician and composer. Classically trained Jennifer Vincent, bassist and cellist, turns the bass clef of a piano score into her own cello compositions and enhances most

of the tracks. Jeff Mironov who plays electric and acoustic guitar is also an award winning musician and Phil Stewart, on drums, has performed with many jazz greats and toured with the Grant Stewart Quartet.

      Yes, this is a jazz program but the programming on the CD alternates wistful ballads with strong rhythm numbers. The First track is a song new to me, “Gently” by Lindy Robin and Billy Stritch, a pleasant sweet love song, and Warren sings it lucidly with the full quartet of musicians, and on this track as several others, Underwood’s arrangements make it sound like a full orchestra is accompanying Warren’s suave singing.

      Warren really rips into Mac David and Duke Ellington’s “I’m Such A Lucky So and So” and even plays harmonica on some parts. Then there is a very personal “L Love My Wife” from Jones and Schmidt’s I Do I Do and a wonderfully wistful “Sweet Kentucky Ham” (Frishberg) with only piano and cello accompaniment and Warren’s rendition

is perfection.

      Among the unfamiliar songs Warren sings are Thad Jones and Alec Wilder’s “A Child is Born,” Loonis McGlohon and Marian McPartland’s “Willow Creek,” “Under the Apple Tree” by Michael Franks (Warren does a brief bit of scatting on this track) and Bobby Troup’s “One October Morning.” Warren uses “Lazy Afternoon” to lead into “Willow Creek,” which he discovered on an old Julius La Rosa LP. Warren himself wrote and introductory verse for Sammy Cahn and James Van Heusen’s “I Like To Lead When I Dance,” which sets up the romanticism of the lyrics and melody. There is also a different lyric by Gene Lees from the one  we all know to Jobim’s “Desafinado” and Warren, singing with the whole group, doesn’t miss one tongue-twisting word, hitting each consonant so fast, so clearly and musically that I don’t know when ever took a breath!

      Three of the best tracks are Joe Raposo’s  “There Used To Be a Ballpark” which begins softly and then builds to a bigger and stronger climax; Frank Loesser’s “Inchworm,” with its rarely sung verse and all three choruses; and especially, Richard Rodney Bennett and Underwood’s “Early To Be.” It’s a special treat to hear these songs sung

by Warren and played by Underwood, Vincent and Stewart.

      I would strongly urge every singer, musician, and fan

of the Great American Songbook to buy this CD and see Warren’s show Saturday September 22nd.

       Clark Warren’s CD release party for Lucky So and So takes place at the Metropolitan Room, 34 West 22 street, New York, NY.