Bistro, BroadwayWorld, MAC and Margaret Whiting Award winner Celia Berk returns to the Beach Cafe on Saturday, February 23rd with a special preview of her new collaboration with pianist Sean Gough. Together, they have created a program of songs about love, including the kinds of hidden gems by great songwriters that have become Celia’s trademark. Celia has released two critically acclaimed albums, garnered awards for her two solo cabaret shows at the Metropolitan Room, and made memorable appearances at Carnegie Hall, Jazz at Lincoln Center and The Town Hall. You can find tickets and more information here.
Sean Gough is best known for his more than decade-long collaboration with veteran bass player Gene Perla, with whom he has appeared across the United States and in Europe. From a young age he has accompanied his grandfather, Metropolitan Opera tenor Ronald Naldi, in recitals. Sean’s writings have appeared in JazzTimes and on Ethan Iverson’s “Do the Math and Do the Gig” blogs.
Celia and Sean said, “This is a different type of collaboration for both of us, offering new musical challenges. Sean approaches popular songs mainly as an improviser, Celia through the lens of storytelling. Over time, the lyrics of the songs we chose began to guide us towards a place somewhere between jazz and cabaret. We hope the audience will enjoy the discoveries we have made as much as we have.”
Beach Cafe owner Dave Goodside said, “We are so pleased to have Beach Cafe favorite Celia Berk back. With The Beach Cafe celebrating 50 years as a home base for millions of Upper East Siders, it has become a must see stop on the New York Cabaret circuit. And we continue to make enhancements to the entire experience for our guests.”
Celia’s second album, MANHATTAN SERENADE, received the 2017 LaMott Friedman Award and is arranged and conducted by Alex Rybeck and co-produced by Tony Award winning sound designer Scott Lehrer, the team behind her debut album YOU CAN’T RUSH SPRING. Lyricist David Zippel (whose “The Broadway Song” written with Cy Coleman receives its first commercial recording) wrote in the album notes, “A tribute to her hometown, this collection is anything but renditions of the obvious New York songs. MANHATTAN SERENADE is curated: a connoisseur’s compilation of one exquisite, undiscovered musical gem after another.” YOU CAN’T RUSH SPRING and Celia’s solo cabaret debut, directed by Jeff Harnar, earned Celia a 2015 Bistro Award: Vocalist, 2015 MAC Award: New York Debut – Female, 2015 BroadwayWorld Award for Best New York Cabaret Debut, and The 2015 Margaret Whiting Award. It appeared on a number of Best of 2014 lists.
MANHATTAN SERENADE and YOU CAN’T RUSH SPRING are available at CDBaby.com, iTunes, Amazon and Pandora. Additional information about Celia Berk can be found at GramercyNightingale.com.