All of you who retain fond memories of Weber & Fields, Wheeler & Woolsey, two-a-day for Keith and such could have done worse than make your way to The Pheasantry in King’s Road while Daryl Sherman and Jay Leonhart were tearing the place up.
To be honest when I left home clutching an Annie Oakley in my sweaty palm, I fully expected to find Daryl at the keyboard making with the tonsils, and Jay lodged behind the bass looking cute. Boy! Did I get a wrong number. From minute one the cross-talk was flowing like lava down the slopes of Vesuvius, punctuated by solos duets on both vocals and instrumentals to the delight of the audience.
The show was ostensibly a nod to Blossom Dearie, whose centenary fell earlier this year, and both artists were happy to share anecdotes about a performer whose vocal chords made Tiny Tim sound like Brian Blessed. As it happens Daryl’s own pipes are not a million miles away from Blossom’s which did no harm at all on familiar well-loved material like Peel Me A Grape, I’m Shadowing You, Sweet Georgie Fame, I’m Hip, etc.
Daryl is no slouch on the keyboard if anybody asks you, and both performers got to strut their stuff on their respective instruments, whilst Jay unleashed a voice he’s been keeping under wraps – at least as far as I’m concerned [his daughter Carolyn has been a strong backing singer for Steely Dan over years – Ed].
I’ve known Daryl for the thick end of a quarter of a century, and even interviewed her for this publication, but although I had seen Jay live over the years, in venues like Blues Alley in Washington D.C., I had never really spoken to him until now. When I asked him how long they’d been woodshedding, expecting something like weeks – or months, at a stretch – he said it was something they’d been honing for several years, not so much as a serious double act, but something they fall back into easily whenever they find themselves in the same town.
In short, the whole package, the singing, playing, cross-talk, cosy chatting with the audience, made for an ambience seldom witnessed in clubland and I’m confident that any member of the audience on Thursday would happily endorse my own highly favourable opinion of a delightful evening.
Daryl Sherman and Jay Leonhart Salute Jazz Legends Blossom Dearie and Dave Frishberg. The Pheasantry, King’s Road, Chelsea, London, some time in September 2024
