Sooner or later, the best musicians reach a point when years of effort and struggle blossom into a mature art.
For singer-songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway, that moment appears to be now, judging by the charismatic performance she offered Wednesday evening at Le Cabaret, atop Lake Point Tower.
Though Callaway (a former Chicagoan) has appeared here regularly over the years, the earlier shows apparently have been stepping stones leading to this one. Certainly Callaway never before had struck such a delicate balance between entertainment and art, between lightly comedic singing and something far deeper and more serious.
Moreover, Callaway now epitomizes the best of several worlds: She is the rare cabaret singer who is additionally blessed with a nimble jazz technique and a flair for penning autobiographical songs. Combine these gifts in the work of a single performer who’s hitting her stride, and you have the makings of an artistic breakthrough.
Callaway established her jazz credentials throughout this set, starting with a “Lady Be Good” that gently tipped its hat to Ella Fitzgerald. Not that Callaway tried to mimic Fitzgerald’s scat virtuosity–that would be an exercise in futility, as any number of lesser singers have learned.
But by tossing off buoyant scat phrases of her own and never failing to hit precisely the pitches she intended, Callaway drew on a noble vocal tradition that eludes many female singers of the under-50 generation.
Technique alone, however, does not communicate the most profound meanings of a song: That requires vocal shading, expressive phrasing and a keen understanding of the meaning of a song’s lyrics. Callaway brought all these elements to bear in several love songs, most notably a clever pairing of “You Don’t Know What Love Is” and “But Beautiful.”
If the first song questions the deeper meaning of love, the second tries to provide answers. By linking the two–and lingering on every syllable of each–Callaway offered a profound look at both the mystery of love and the art of the love song. By any measure, this was a musical-dramatic tour de force.
The show, which plays through Sunday, also attested to Callaway’s imaginative powers. Her version of Miles Davis’ “All Blues,” with poetic lyrics and haunting vocal colorings, enhanced one’s understanding of this familiar music.
If Callaway occasionally came on a bit strong in comedic numbers and between-song patter, there’s no question that her touch is much lighter than it once was.
More important, she’s clearly beginning a new, more mature phase of her career, and it will be fascinating to hear the music it will produce.
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Ann Hampton Callaway performs through Sunday at Le Cabaret at Cite, on the 70th floor of Lake Point Tower, 505 N. Lake Shore Drive. Phone 312-644-4050.
