Clint Holmes
“Cole Porter and Paul Simon walk into a bar…” may sound like a bad joke, but it’s actually the clever premise for This Thing Called Love, Clint Holmes’ wonderful new show at the Cafe Carlyle. Making a return appearance at the venue after scoring a triumph last fall with his Bobby Short tribute, the performer goes in a completely different direction with equally successful results.

As he did before, Holmes brings a welcome dose of Las Vegas-style showmanship to the room’s rarified atmosphere. But he also displays a superb interpretative ability to mine a song’s emotional depths. Juxtaposing the love songs of these two composers of wildly different backgrounds and styles, he finds the common ground in their mutual poeticism, ironic wit and gorgeous melodies.

The show, superbly directed by Larry Moss, begins friskily with an interweaving of Porter’s “Let’s Do It” with Simon’s “Feelin’ Groovy.” The musical combinations that follow demonstrate a frequent cleverness, such as when Porter’s “Get Out of Town” is immediately followed by Simon’s rueful “50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.” A segment in which a married man is uncomfortably confronted by a former lover has Holmes singing Porter’s “Just One of Those Things.”
Aided by the superb arrangements of musical director/pianist Jeffrey Neiman, Holmes invests some of Porter’s most familiar material with invigorating freshness. Such numbers as a percussive “I’ve Got You Under My Skin,” a Latin-tinged “I Concentrate on You” and a full-throttle “So in Love” are galvanizing highlights of the show.

But even better are the Simon songs, often delivered in revelatory fashion. The normally gospel-flavored “Loves Me Like a Rock” is given a slinky jazz arrangement; “Slip Slidin’ Away” gets a blues treatment; and the opening verse of “You Can Call Me Al” is performed in a spoken-word fashion that uncovers the deep pathos underlying the jaunty humor of such lyrics as “Why am I soft in the middle?/The rest of my life is so hard.”

The excitement of Las Vegas and the sophistication of Manhattan merged on Tuesday evening at Café Carlyle, where Clint Holmes’s stirring new show, “This Thing Called Love,” saluted the songs of Cole Porter and Paul Simon. What do these composers have in common? Not much when you think about it. Mr. Simon’s knotty reflections with their undertone of whimsy and Porter’s besotted romanticism are poles apart.

Clint Holmes is performing songs of Cole Porter and Paul Simon at Café Carlyle in a show called “This Thing Called Love.”

A sortable calendar of noteworthy cultural events in the New York region, selected by Times critics.

But Mr. Holmes, imagining a dialogue between the two, created a dramatic suite in which their songs fruitfully played off one another. The closest they came to a meeting of sensibilities was early in the evening during back-to-back abridged versions of Mr. Simon’s “59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)” and Porter’s “It’s De-Lovely.”

The sequence suggested a story in which Mr. Holmes played a high-strung, not always sympathetic everyman who descends from innocence into desperation, then returns to a tentative calm. At the nadir he is virtually torn apart by the emotional crises evoked in the songs, particularly Mr. Simon’s.

A brainy showman whose sensitivity to lyrics is matched by his fearlessness as a performer, Mr. Holmes acted out songs with the ferocious, sweaty intensity of a man flirting with an emotional breakdown. His brassy, jazzy lounge singing occasionally leapt into a semi-falsetto. His sextet, led by the pianist Jeffrey Neiman, and featuring Kenny Gioffre’s saxophone and Greg Utzig’s guitar, followed him every step of the way.

In a harrowing mini-suite that connected Mr. Simon’s “Have a Good Time” with Porter’s “It’s All Right With Me” and “Just One of Those Things,” his discontented alter ego went on a compulsive, destructive sexual bender. Instead of castigating himself, he made you feel the dangerous thrill of the chase along with the exhilaration of throwing off a stale partnership for new adventures. But there were also quiet moments. The small obedient voice he adopted for Mr. Simon’s “I’d Do It for Your Love” set the stage for the explosion to follow.

Certain Simon songs were boldly reoutfitted. The original gospel setting of “Loves Me Like a Rock” was discarded in favor a slower, jazzier, finger-snapping groove that allowed more room for the lyrics celebrating the solidity of maternal love. Instead of a sad murmur of surrender, “Slip Slidin’ Away” became a musical fistfight with the fates. A fragment of “You Can Call Me Al” was spoken without musical accompaniment.

His encore, a tender “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” brought back the theme of unconditional love that a parent feels for a child: the truest love there is.

Clint Holmes performs through April 28 at Café Carlyle, 35 East 76th Street, Manhattan; (212) 744-1600.

By DAVID A. FRYE
Special to the Daily News

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

A great musical match-up took place Monday night as Maestro Bob Lappin and the Palm Beach Pops welcomed veteran entertainer Clint Holmes to the Kravis Center stage.
An extremely polished performer, Holmes seemed right at home fronting the large group. He held his own through a well-paced set of quiet ballads as well as big numbers, while sharing the spotlight with Lappin and an array of soloists from the Pops lineup.
In the second half, Holmes came out of the gate swinging with a tight big-band arrangement of Get Me To The Church On Time, from My Fair Lady, the first of many show tunes — both classic and original — performed that evening. Displaying a well-tempered confidence that only comes from 20-plus years in Vegas and Atlantic City, Holmes smoothly segued from one tune to the next, weaving anecdotes and one-liners into the mix in a conversational tone that doesn’t feel rehearsed. In fact, he makes you feel right at home, sharing his tasteful interpretations of a wide variety of material while channeling bits of the heroes he has known over the years: a little bit of Sammy Davis Jr. in What Kind of Fool Am I?, a little Sinatra in Under My Skin, and a little Michael Jackson in a refreshing version of Human Nature.
Other highlights included the stunning West Side Story Suite — a beautifully understated abridged version of the show that was a one-man tour-de-force — along with several original tunes from a yet-to-be-produced autobiographical musical, and his 1974 number one pop hit, Playground In My Mind, which had the Kravis crowd happily singing along. While the Pops players are still as bankable as ever, both individually and as a unit, the lighting designs and audio mix have never been better, making for a great overall experience.

By pairing with Holmes, likely the most talented “one-hit wonder” whose name you might not recall but certainly should remember, the Palm Beach Pops has raised the bar substantially for future guest performers, and found a solid collaborator who is as close to a perfect fit as it’s had in recent years. It resulted in simply a great night of music.

Read more: http://broadwayworld.com/article/Photo-Coverage-Clint-Holmes-Plays-Feinsteins-20110425#ixzz1qhvT9qRU

In his carefully constructed tribute, Mr. Holmes, an entertainment king in Las Vegas, approaches his subject with a cheerful reverence. What connects Mr. Holmes with his idol has little to do with musical style or vocal similarity and everything to do with exuberance. What really matters is that the party go on and that its host keep its hi-de-ho spirits aloft with only one or two pauses for reflection. Mr. Holmes showed the heart and the stamina for the task.

The program consists almost entirely of songs favored by Short, including seven by Cole Porter and two by Rodgers and Hart. The musicians (Jeffrey Neiman on piano, Jay Leonhart on bass and Sherrie Maricle on drums) were supplemented midway in the show by John Eckert on trumpet, Mike Christianson on trombone and Patience Higgins on saxophone and flute, who help recreate the small-band sound of Short’s later years.

Mr. Holmes delicately negotiated the tricky matter of vocal imitation, often scaling back his lounge-singer swagger several notches to croon in a pure head voice with polished, if hesitant phrasing. This was most effective in the humorous Ivor Novello song “And Her Mother Came, Too,” which ends with a witty punch line. Here and there, he incorporated Short’s body language of a suave, smiling teddy bear throwing out his arms at the end of a number.

Most important, Mr. Holmes paid serious attention to lyrics. The most introspective moment was a medley of “It Never Entered My Mind” and “Losing My Mind,” whose narrator, blindsided by thwarted passion, regret and confusion, fearfully stumbles through the dark. Mr. Holmes sang as though he were conducting a ruthless self-examination in a mirror. That this hypergregarious entertainer could shuck his defenses was something of a shock: a welcome one.

Clint Holmes’s “Remembering Bobby Short” runs through Oct. 29 at the Café Carlyle, Carlyle Hotel, 35 East 76th Street, Manhattan; (212) 744-1600, thecarlyle.com.

The audience was very familiar with the music of their life time and equally familiar with Clint Holmes’ style as a crooner. The songs fit well and the orchestra was an outstanding addition to the big band style of Frank Sinatra.

The Las Vegas Philharmonic
The usual philharmonic setting was augmented with the addition of a saxophone section, and the expanding of the brass section. Further a drum set and guitar were added to produce the music in the style of Frank Sinatra with the wonderful orchestration. The setting of the group around the grand piano and Mr. Holmes use of the stool provided an intimate feel even in a large, full concert hall. The opening selection did the work it was intended to do, setting up all the familiar melodies and preparing the listener for what was to come.

What was to come was a wonderful evening. The orchestra, the conductor, the singer, the memories all combined perfectly with the audience applauding all aspects of the concert. Going to a concert of the Philharmonic, one expects to enjoy listening, but this concert was also a visual treat. From the violins to the percussionists the orchestra seemed to truly be enjoying the experience. The visual treat included watching the saxophone section change from the sax to the flute, clarinet, and oboe. They never missed a beat and their variety of expertise was as amazing as their quick changes and wonderful music.

Vincent Falcone
Vincent Falcone was the guest conductor for this pops concert by the Philharmonic. He had worked with Frank Sinatra for many years and his list of accomplishments seems unlimited. He is working to preserve the musical work and style of Frank Sinatra as well as current recording in the jazz genre.

As the conductor, he set a rapid pace taking the audience from What a Wonderful World, and Fly me to the Moon to an exploration of their own lives with It was a Very Good Year. The first set ended with the Lady is a Tramp.

Mr. Falcone was a joy to watch as he moved from a classic orchestra director, to the big band style directing from the piano. All this movement did not distract from the joy he shared through the music. His rapid pace and limited banter kept the audience aware that to complete a tour of Frank Sinatra’s work would require much more time then he was given.

Beginning with Summer Winds, he then hit the Las Vegas theme of Luck be a Lady and My Way. He saved the best for last, ending with New York, New York.

Clint Holmes
Mr. Holmes sang the entire program of Frank Sinatra songs. Often in Las Vegas the word tribute means impersonation, but Mr. Holmes stated from the beginning that he was not trying to impersonate Sinatra, he was here to offer his talents in respect to Frank Sinatra style. He was able to do this very, very well. He warmed up with What a Wonderful World and Fly Me to the Moon. Then, with Come Rain or Come Shine he slowed the tempo way down and vocalized a beautiful arrangement.

With It Was a Very Good Year, he really captured the audience, most of who could relate to the passing of time and the desires of the different stages of life. He ended the first half of the program with The Lady is a Tramp.

Beginning the second part of the second part of the program with Summer Wind, Clint and the drummer, Tommy Check, then went solo on I’ve Got You under My Skin. Giving the singer a rest the trombone solo by Dick McGee added a second stanza with the entire orchestra finishing off the song.

Clint admitted to never having sung the Las Vegas trademark songs of Luck Be a Lady Tonight and My Way which he did in an outstanding manner. He ended the program with New York New York.

The applause was so emphatic that Vincent Falcone called him back several times and they agreed to an encore even though there was no orchestration for an encore. Several people shouted out their requests including Chicago, but they chose One for My Baby. This was well received with audience members shouted out the lyrics while Clint adlibbed. The evening ended on a hilarious high note and no one seemed ready to leave.

Updated: 4:55 p.m. Tuesday, March 15, 2011

When singer/songwriter Clint Holmes appeared with the Palm Beach Pops last year, he mentioned in passing that Sammy Davis, Jr. was one of his heroes and that someday he would love to do a tribute. Knowing a sure-fire hit when he saw one, Maestro Bob Lappin made the informal booking for the next season right then and there onstage. 
 Fast-forward to Monday night at the Kravis Center, when Holmes returned to pay homage to his idol in a well-balanced program that was as close to a perfect match of subject, guest artist, material and performance that the Pops has delivered in recent memory.

Holmes came out with a preview of what was to come during the first act, delivering a short medley of Sammy’s signature tunes, including two gems from the Anthony Newley/Leslie Bricusse musical, Stop The World, I Want To Get Off. The Vegas veteran instantly commanded the stage, easily holding his own against the large ensemble on the classic Once In A Lifetime and getting the orchestra and the audience to join in for a call-and-response section on the gospel-tinged Gonna Build A Mountain. This brief appearance really helped the pacing and balance in the first half and served to not only give the guest star a proper nod, but also build anticipation for the second half.

Rounding out the opening set was Kern’s gorgeous Long Ago and Far Away and the Gershwins’ I Got Rhythm, both Pops standards. The latter tune started with the basic trio, Lappin on piano with veteran bassist Ranses Colon and the great Frank Derrick on drums.

The second half was all about Sammy, with Holmes kicking off the festivities with a solid take on That Old Black Magic. Ably assisted by Musical Director/Pianist Jeff Neiman, Holmes showed more polish, vocal power and sheer versatility than he displayed last year — which is not an easy task — as he worked his way through a well-thought-out program of all the numbers you would expect, sprinkling in anecdotes and other back stories along the way.

But even though the approach to the program was admittedly one of an unabashed fan, Holmes put his own mark on the material, singing the songs his way (with the obvious Sammy influence allowed to run free), but without getting in the way of the interpretation process. The result was very satisfying for both the audience as well as the performers onstage.

Among the highlights were two twin-spin double plays: Newley’s Who Can I Turn To? matched with the optimistic For Once In My Life (with the uptempo Stevie Wonder tune juxtaposed nicely as a slow, emotional ballad) and Davis’ 1973 hit Candy Man played alongside another child-like pop smash from that same year, Holmes’ only Top 10 hit, Playground In My Mind. The audience happily sang along on the bouncy choruses of both songs.

Next came the first in a series of goosebump moments: the classic I Gotta Be Me, quickly followed by a big, hankerin’ swagger on There’s a Boat Dat’s Leavin’ Soon for New York, from Porgy and Bess, that was reminiscent of Bobby Darin.

The hits just kept on coming with a touching reading of Bojangles and a knocked down, dragged out, call-the-fire-department version of The Birth of The Blues that started slowly with a cool intro improvised between Holmes and trumpeter Steve Ahern, and then built to a fever pitch, as did the obvious encore, What Kind of Fool Am I?

In all, a near-perfect mix of a great guest soloist who appeared to thoroughly enjoy a dream assignment, an orchestra at the top of its game and a well-loved subject made for an exceptional night at the Pops. What’s not to like?

By DAVID A. FRYE
Special to the Daily News

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

A great musical match-up took place Monday night as Maestro Bob Lappin and the Palm Beach Pops welcomed veteran entertainer Clint Holmes to the Kravis Center stage.

An extremely polished performer, Holmes seemed right at home fronting the large group. He held his own through a well-paced set of quiet ballads as well as big numbers, while sharing the spotlight with Lappin and an array of soloists from the Pops lineup.

Holmes came out of the gate swinging with a tight big-band arrangement of Get Me To The Church On Time, from My Fair Lady, the first of many show tunes — both classic and original — performed that evening. Displaying a well-tempered confidence that only comes from 20-plus years in Vegas and Atlantic City, Holmes smoothly segued from one tune to the next, weaving anecdotes and one-liners into the mix in a conversational tone that doesn’t feel rehearsed. In fact, he makes you feel right at home, sharing his tasteful interpretations of a wide variety of material while channeling bits of the heroes he has known over the years: a little bit of Sammy Davis Jr. in What Kind of Fool Am I?, a little Sinatra in Under My Skin, and a little Michael Jackson in a refreshing version of Human Nature.

Other highlights included the stunning West Side Story Suite — a beautifully understated abridged version of the show that was a one-man tour-de-force — along with several original tunes from a yet-to-be-produced autobiographical musical, and his 1974 number one pop hit, Playground In My Mind, which had the Kravis crowd happily singing along.

Accompanied by Musical Director Jeffrey Neiman on piano and synthisizer (not often heard with the Pops) and the brilliant pianist Mike Renzi, Holmes covered a wide variety of musical styles.
While the Pops players are still as bankable as ever, both individually and as a unit, the lighting designs and audio mix have never been better, making for a great overall experience.

By pairing with Holmes, likely the most talented “one-hit wonder” whose name you might not recall but certainly should remember, the Palm Beach Pops has raised the bar substantially for future guest performers, and found a solid collaborator who is as close to a perfect fit as it’s had in recent years. It resulted in simply a great night of music.

He may admire Nat “King” Cole, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Frank Sinatra as “cool cats” (his father’s term), but, in fact, Clint Holmes is the coolest of them all. In an all too short five night run at Feinstein’s Loews Regency, it’s no wonder that this 64 year old powerhouse has the staying power. Holmes is mostly a Las Vegas phenomenon where he plies his trade thanks to an invitation from Steve Wynn some ten years back.

At the young age of 10, he was listening to the great Nat “King” Cole sing “Orange Colored Sky,” the rousing opening splash to his show. Family matters in Holmes’ life as his song choices are constructed with lots of patter about them; Dad a black jazz singer, Mom a British white opera singer who is now 95.

There isn’t an inch of body part that doesn’t come into play as Holmes performs. He is in the moment at every breath, turning each lyric into a juicy morsel. In a tribute to Sammy Davis, Jr., a sad, soulful “What Kind of Fool Am I” was punctuated with a unique dance routine, vocal tap sounds into the mic; “Bluesette” (a tribute to Ella) became a vehicle for the best rapid-fire scat I’ve heard against each of the instruments in his trio. “All The Way” was another sure-fire high energy pleaser.

His almost monologue-style renditions of songs are dramatic interpretations like the short 4 to 8 bar sections from the score of West Side Story, the first musical he ever saw on Broadway, suddenly developing into a full fledged medley and a standing ovation.

Holmes did have a big hit song in 1973 that was #2 on the charts, “Playground in My Mind.” As a songwriter himself, heartfelt “1944,” was a retrospective of love about his parents’ romance and life together. Five years ago, he survived cancer and “Hallelujah” resounded with a certain joy, but not as triumphant as his originally penned “If Not Now When!” that, once again, brought the audience to its feet.

Clint Holmes is probably one of our greatest entertainers. His performance is the little big show, Las Vegas style on a small stage, in an inspired showmanship. He’s accompanied by top notch musicians, including the ever-nimble fingers of Musical Director Jeff Neiman on piano and Synth, along with Steve Beskrone on bass and Jess Gopen on drums.

It’s not only me, as I’ve heard many say “when are we going to see this man starring on Broadway?”

Clint Holmes

By John Katsilometes · April 22, 2011 · 10:07 PM

Clint Holmes has picked up what they term in sports as a road victory with his opening at Feinstein’s at Lowes Regency in New York.

In attendance Thursday night, the first show in a four-performance engagement, were Liza Minnelli, Harry Belafonte, Michael Feinstein, former New York Mayor David Dinkins, jazz great (and Henderson resident) Dee Dee Bridgewater, famed songwriter-composer Leslie Bricusse and esteemed Las Vegas entertainer Kelly Clinton Holmes, who doubles as Holmes’ wife.

Backed by a just a trio (bassist, drummer and Musical Director/pianist) in the cozy space, Holmes drew four standing ovations and earned the praise of New York Times reviewer Stephen Holden, who wrote of the 64-year-old Sammy Davis Jr. disciple, “His high-energy singing is a friendly frontal assault whose sheer enthusiasm softens your resistance.”

Having known Holmes for years, I can verify that his sheer enthusiasm never fails in its resistance-softening properties.

But the review (and read it here) was a deservedly laudatory testament to Holmes’ stirring, autobiographical stage show. Also noted, and this was new information to me, was that Holmes’ lone hit, “Playground in My Mind,” reached No. 2 on the Billboard charts in 1973, pinned between Paul McCartney’s “My Love” at No. 1 and Elton John’s “Daniel” at No. 3.

I’m thinking what you’re thinking: Medley.

Regardless, I can’t wait to see Holmes again in Las Vegas, either at our favorite haunt, the Stirling Club at Turnberry Place, or a hotel-casino showroom. It’s been too long between gigs.