New
York Cabaret Scene
The era before television
(and what became known as rock
and roll") was a time when live performers thrived, when intimate
rooms with pianists, bassists, drummers, and vocalists predominated,
and when the thing to do was to drop in to any of several dozen night
clubs to nurse a drink while you heard talented live music performed.
Indeed, this was a period when a restauranteur could not hope to have
a room succeed unless the proper live talent was included in its billing.
A cross over impact was also often had, since many of these talented
musicians also had dual exposure on live radio shows and record albums;
which, prior to the advent of television in the early fifties, were
then the predominating media by which musical performers reached their
audience.
That
era has, sadly, long since passed; only a few cabaret nightspots
exist in New York City today, with a much smaller, though still
highly talented, group of performers. Events such
as The Mabel Mercer Foundation's annual Cabaret Conventions, under
the stewardship of Donald Smith, have continued to provide
exposure to talented artists and to spotlight cabaret as an unique
art form. However, what is largely lacking now, in contrast to the
early to mid Twentieth Century, is a vibrant audience with
multiple, affordable venues in which the music can be heard. Such was
the norm in Cy Walter's time, and the materials included here chronicle
just what a magical scene it was. |
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