Review of Maria Volonte’s concert in Chicago, July 2 2011:
from the Chicago blog www.cityvida.com
Scent of a Woman … Welcome Ms. Volonte
by Salbondigas
My first introduction to Tango was watching the movie, Scent of a Woman, with the low-key Al Pacino. From that movie to Dancing with the Stars, Tango has been a dance that many have tried but few can capture the essence of the emotion. Seeing a live dance performance is a treat, but seeing it with music performed by Maria Volonte is dessert to the ears …
This Grammy nominated woman has 9 albums and when Tango 21 asked us if we would like to attend the show, we were excited at the opportunity to see her perform. The host of the night described her music as, “Tango with blends of Jazz and Blues.” This description held true as Ms. Volonte played many of her hits with brief explanations of each of her songs. It was such an intimate affair that I felt like she was in my living room performing for us live. She was accompanied by her harmonica player, Kevin Footer, who played an emotional harmonica and displayed his soul-driven dancing skills.
One of the stories that Ms. Volonte told us was that she was traveling cross-country in a van. The audience laughed with amusement but I wondered if that was really true. Of course, I had to satisfy my curiosity by checking the parking lot and guess what I saw, a tour van with her name on it. It brought a tear to my ear to see that she was keeping it real! So if you have a chance to see her perform, make the effort to support her music. (We even bought a CD, hope that helps with the purchase of a couple of gallons of gas.)
[published at www.cityvida.com]
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