Much to the surprise and disappointment of a loyal fan base, Ray Slayter’s popular Santa
Monica Jazz room closed it’s doors on Thursday night, February 28 th . The Vic, a unique
fivestar
Jazz venue, invited patrons to enter through a backdoor and whisper a secret
word for entry. Visiting the club always reminded me of speakeasy days gone bye. For
their swan song, they invited two of the hottest vocalists in town to their stage. Slater
moved the venue downstairs to accommodate the hundreds who showed up. Stuart Elster
at the grand piano, Luther Hughes on bass and Paul Kreibich manning the drums opened
the stellar evening and put the S in swing. They used to be the original Vic housetrio
and returned to offer a solid springboard that propelled the featured singers to their
highest heights. Sherwood Sledge opened his set with Fly Me To The Moon highlighted
by Luther Hughes pumping out a strong walking bass. The SRO crowd quickly settled
down from loud chatter to a murmur when Sledge sang, In The Wee Small Hours of the
Morning, exhibiting tenderness and control. Looking handsome in his deep purple suit,
Sherwood tackled the Fats Domino shuffle I’m Walkin’ followed by the familiar Blues
standard In the Evening When the Sun Goes Down. Both songs encouraged audience
participation and the handclapping
was enthusiastic and spontaneous. I particularly
enjoyed the romantic Billy Eckstein tune Sledge interpreted entitled, I’ll Close My Eyes.
Sledge had the crowd in the palm of his hands throughout his set. Then he introduced
Barbara Morrison. Morrison is always a showstopper. She dazzled the receptive
audience with her black beaded dress and exquisite song styling. Relaxed and totally in
control, this seasoned entertainer is world class. Her take on the Bacharach/David tune
Walk On Bye was an immediate crowd pleaser. Morrison peppered her show with jokes.
Should she choose to, her perfect timing and intuition could easily allow this lady to
pursue a career as a standup
comedian. Ms. Morrison’s rendition of I Love You Porgy
was beyond beautiful and hushed the room with its sincerity. Morrison and Sledge
performed a rousing duet of the Lou Rawls popular Muddy Water Blues. Once Morrison
left the stage, Sledge concluded his first set with a rousing Gospel rendition of Didn’t It
Rain. All of us were so wellentertained,
it was difficult to clear the room for the SRO
crowd that was standing in line awaiting the second show. The Vic will be missed.
However, owner Ray Slayter promised the crowd he has another jazzy dream up his
sleeve. Let’s hope that dream takes flight sooner than later.
Reviewed by: Dee Dee McNeil/freelance Journalist
Submitted and published by www.lajazz.com

Dee Dee McNeil
February 28, 2008

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