The New Nostalgia and the Triumph of Cabaret Culture

Songs from the American songbook of the 20th Century have made a major comeback over the past season, many of them selling briskly over the internet as cds or downloads, enough that a distinct trend can be gleaned. And that trend may be based on a sociological need for escape to times that seem better, at least, because we know how things resolved themselves, and based on our cravings for a bit of sentimentality to sweeten the daily, the predictable and the mundane. It is also, however, a renunciation of the au current styles of pop music and the state of music radio.

We have experienced this type of pop phenomenon once before: during the recession of the early 1970s, when Bette Midler brought back The Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy and Chapel of Love, swing bands went disco a'la Dr Buzzard's Savannah Band and Vicki Sue Robinson, and the smooth retro harmonies of the Manhattan Transfer were in favor. Now, as our economy rebounds from another recessionary financial period, we find the New Nostalgia dominating pop music.

Lady Gaga certainly knows a trend when she hears one. She teamed up with Tony Bennett to record ballad and upbeat jazz and swing numbers like Cole Porter's "Anything Goes," and "It Don't Mean a Thing" on their album, Cheek to Cheek, which was a major financial and critical success this year. And Bette Midler returns to form with her all-girl group concept album, It's the Girls, bringing back tunes by The Andrew Sisters, the Ronettes, doing a duet with girl-group original, Darlene Love, and even reaching back to the 1930s to recreate that seminal girl-group, The Boswell Sisters.

Much of this material has been kept alive, largely here in New York City cabarets, through the decades, where it has evolved. I've been to several shows this past season where songs have mostly come from the doo-wop '50s through the house-music dance classics of the '90s. And disco nostalgia is all the rage! (We can, perhaps, thank Broadway's Mama Mia for that influence, and for finally making '70s disco legit.) Ronnie Giles' "Revenge of the Third-Rate Lounge Singer," received a very positive review from Broadway World! Kim Grogg's "Go Where the Love Is" (both these shows were at the venerable Don't Tell Mama cabaret) and Carly Ozard's musical bouquets to Bette, "Midler on the Roof" were also among the finest, and they played to full houses. And off-Broadway's Sylester musical, "Mighty Real" will return January 11 at the Gramercy Theater as a concert, further cementing the disco-era as part of the New Nostalgia.

Aretha's latest album, covering divas past and present, has Ms Franklin back in disco mode with classics like "I Will Survive." Kristin Chenoweth's recent Coming Home album includes Broadway show tunes and "No More Tears (Enough Is Enough)!" If a gay sensibility runs through all the albums and shows I've mentioned, what could be trendier or more part of this tradition of quality music?

Easy listening and middle-of-the-road no longer are dirty words for me. Not necessarily, anyhow. It's been said, "nostalgia isn't what it used to be" but 2014 proved it's even better.

Audio Beaverhausen: Tony Bennett Gets Cheeky with Lady Gaga

The highly anticipated Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga duets album, Cheek to Cheek, was released today on both standard and deluxe (bonus tracks) cds. The Target stores' exclusive edition includes yet other bonus tracks. And, of course, the tracks are available for download. For my taste, the 15-track standard issue suffices but, ultimately, I might want to hear more. Cd version offers liner notes and photos that made that format the most attractive to me.

A royal pop-music marriage with an Electra complex, Cheek to Cheek brings together one of pop/electro's edgier superstars (making a mainstream move) revitalizing her career after her ArtPop commercial disappointment by upping her credibility as a pop vocalist, while Grandpa Tony, 88 (he is 60 years his singing partner's age), brings his still-suave vocal stylings to the table and will look pretty hep to younger generations of music fans, or at least that's the gamble here.

Of course, Lady Gaga is very accomplished when it comes to classic pop/jazz music and can fall back on her classical training. She appeared with Mr Bennett on his Duets II album to sing "The Lady Is a Tramp" with him and, apparently, the venerable crooner saw the potential -- artistically and commercially, no doubt  -- of doing a whole album together. It would be unlikely he'd consider a duets album with, say, Nicki Minaj or Katy Perry to name but two of Gaga's contemporaries.

Tony Bennett is no longer the poor man's Frank Sinatra -- at least not since Sinatra kicked the bucket. And he's hardly shabby at his age, either, showing little sign of diminished talent since he left his heart in San Francisco. Frankly (no pun intended), he covers the popular pop/jazz numbers on his latest album with the solid control of an artist still at the top of his game.

For her part, Gaga, with both the most to gain or to lose through this effort, can sound a tad overly eager and strained on a few tracks (notably the two openers, "Anything Goes" and "Cheek to Cheek," where I felt certain lines sounded almost shouted out). However, she is absolutely entrancing on "Nature Boy" and her solo spot, the go-on-feel-sorry-for-yourself beautiful masochism of "Lush Life."

Bennett and Gaga are a splendid duo, however, on a majority of tracks and you can feel the rapport and chemistry in their harmonies on tracks like "Firefly," "Let's Face the Music and Dance" and "It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got that Swing)."

Cheek to Cheek will appeal largely to Bennett's older crowd and to cabaret and jazz aficionados. No telling what the Little Monsters will make of this effort.