Tonight was the opening night of the 2010 Astoria Music Festival (and that’s the Astoria in Oregon, not the one in New York). The concert was billed as Norman Leyden’s All-American Gala, and it certainly lived up to its name. With the exception of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, the entire program consisted of Leyden’s legendary arrangements, and playing them again was like getting in touch with an old friend. Norman is a master arranger of works from the American Songbook and other related genres, and the authenticity rings through in every note he writes.
There were three stellar artists that Norman brought with him to Astoria: soprano Katie Harmon, baritone Richard Zeller, and pianist Thomas Lauderdale.
Soprano Katie Harmon might be best known as the Miss Oregon who won the Miss America Pageant in 2002, but her vocal prowess has grown greatly over the ensuing years, and she was in impressive form Friday night. Her rendition of Somewhere from Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story was sung with power, conviction, and exemplary technique.
Baritone Richard Zeller, also an Oregonian, has built a major career in recent years, including 12 seasons with the Metropolitan Opera. He especially shone in Ol’ Man River from Kern/Hammerstein’s Showboat, which was simply spellbinding through his suspension of incredibly long lines, and in Billy’s Soliloquy from Rogers/Hammerstein’s Carousel, where he brought incredible intensity and emotional range to his character in one of the great arias in all of musical theater.
Pianist Thomas Lauderdale pulled out all the stops, and then pulled out a few more in his wild and crazy traversal of Rhapsody in Blue. There were times when the orchestra just seemingly couldn’t keep up with his propulsive tempos, but he brought the audience to their feet through sheer chutzpah and daring.
Norman Leyden is 93 years old this year, and he was showing his age a bit Friday night, as he has every right to do, but he can still spin a line with his clarinet better than people half his age, and he still brings an infectious combination of joy and a wry sense of humor to his rehearsals and performances that makes him a pleasure to work with. Way to go, Norman!