Ann Hampton Callaway – Courtesy of Kari Strand. Used with permission.
There is nothing more satisfying than being up front in a small, intimate space listening to vocalist Ann Hampton Callaway, who is renowned as one of America’s premier jazz and pop singers. Such was the case Friday when I witnessed Callaway perform a 75-minute set at The Jazz Kitchen, a hallowed music venue in Indianapolis.
I first became aware of Callaway when she performed as a guest of the Indianapolis Men’s Chorus of which I was a member sometime in the mid-nineties. And since then, I have covered her over the years during her performances with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (including when she co-hosted “Yuletide Celebration” with her sister Liz Callaway in 2011), at The Palladium, and Feinstein’s at Hotel Carmichael. During the ensuing years, Callaway, a Chicago native, Tony, nominated Broadway star and recording artist, has amassed a substantial fan base in Central Indiana, which she calls a “second home.” Having seen her perform numerous times over the years, I believe she is one of the few entertainers I have covered who has grown as steadily as an artist in the way she has, with no end in sight.
Ann Hampton Callaway – Courtesy of Kari Strand. Used with permission.
Playing to a packed house of clearly ardent fans who came out for the 7 p.m. show I attended, Callaway regaled the crowd in Finding Beauty: Inspired Classics & Originals. She was accompanied by the Sean Baker Trio, a superb local group featuring Sean Baker on piano, John Marque on drums, and Jesse Whitman on bass. Scattered throughout her act was breezy banter delivered with warmth and sincerity, and sprinkled with naughty overtones, along with references to her tongue-in-cheek status as a quintessential “Diva.”
Recalling artists she grew up with and sharing her fond memories of the exhilarated feeling of purchasing her music idols’ vinyl LPs at record stores, Callaway delighted the primarily Boomer aged audience with her distinctive styling of classics such as Carole King’s Will You Still Love Tomorrow, Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell, Billy Joel’s New York State of Mind and You’ve Got a Friend by James Tayler. With her one-of-a-kind vocal instrument, Callaway covered each tune with impeccable phrasing and interpretation, making each her very own.
Ann Hampton Callaway – Courtesy of Kari Strand. Used with permission.
Drawing from her prodigious catalogue, Callaway displayed her gifts as a composer and lyricist through the originals, such as Finding Beauty, which she opened the show with, The Secret of Life, and Stealin’Away, which reinforced her mastery of the jazz idiom. A poignant highlight in the show was her emotional delivery of Information Please, a ballad she composed with friend and colleague Amanda McBroom, who wrote the lyrics for the tribute to the telephone operators who were once available to provide directory assistance for customers.
And how could she not include her “one hit wonder,” she asked, prior to playfully launching into the theme for the TV show, “The Nanny” (199319-99). It’s a song she said still brings joy to her accountant for the royalty pauments she continues to receive.
The most memorable moment in the show took place when Callaway discovered that Cole Porter’s granddaughter was in the audience. Stopping the show, she greeted the special guest sitting in the front row. Then she sat down at the piano to play a haunting, heartfelt rendition of Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye in memory of the Hoosier composer whose music is a mainstay of the Great American Songbook, which Callaway has spent a career preserving and promoting. It was truly a rare occurrence.
