Danny Bacher and His Quartet Spread Plenty of Musical Joy at Pangea
By Marilyn Lester*** | ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED AT NITE LIFE EXCHANGE
Vocalist and soprano sax-master, Danny Bacher, is one of those performers who truly loves what he does, and it shows in his every performance. Versatile and multi-talented, this outing at Pangea as as part of the Spring Swing Jazz Series, featured the Danny Bacher Quartet: Steve Myerson on piano, Dean Johnson, upright bass and Alverster Garnett, drums—musicians at the top of their game. The cumulative effect was an evening of great music wrapped in a terrific bundle of joy. And it didn’t hurt an iota that Bacher was played onto the stage by Duke Ellington’s uptempo, inherently cheerful toe-tapper, “C-Jam Blues”—a great tone-setter.
Bacher self-identifies as an entertainer—and that he is. The description befits one who is equally skilled at playing an instrument, singing, humor (with classic jokes living side-by-side with quips and ad-libs) and storytelling. He accomplishes the latter through the music and in his ability as a raconteur. The essence of Bacher can be summed up in one of his own compositions, “In Spite of All This (I’m Still Happy.)” That happiness is authentic; it spills into the room, permeates it and is a great take-away when the show ends. Yep, he’s a feel-good kind of guy and…entertainer.