Todd Gordon & Tina May Sing Frank & Ella -Darlington Arts Centre

Reviewer: Ian Cain

The Public Reviews Rating:

The sultry sound of swing resonated through Darlington Arts Centre on Saturday evening as Todd Gordon and Tina May brought their sincere homage to the musical genius of Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald to the venue.

With a fantastic three-piece band made up by Gordon Kilroy on drums, Brian Shiels on bass and David Patrick on keyboards, the show featured classic songs such as ‘You Make Me Feel So Young’, ‘Night and Day’, ‘How High The Moon’ and ‘New York, New York’. Todd Gordon also performed a version of ‘Mack The Knife’ with some cleverly re-worked lyrics.

Both Todd Gordon and Tina May are blessed with extraordinary talent – such is their skill and precision at performing these wonderful numbers that it would probably be more appropriate to refer to them as vocal technicians rather than merely as singers. Gordon’s voice is smooth and mellow, whilst May is a first-rate scat-singer. Both have enviable diction and a clarity and pureness that is seldom heard nowadays. The pair performed together in duets of ‘Manhattan’ and ‘The Lady is a Tramp’ and there was a playful rapport between them which enhanced the songs even more.

Between songs Todd and Tina also shared little-known stories and amusing anecdotes about Frank and Ella which made the evening that much more intimate and informative. A wonderful show that was well-received by an appreciative audience.