Review by Simon Jenner, 4th June 2025
The Blue Cafe Duo boasts a unique line-up of Magdalena Reising’s vocals with harp, and Shane Hill’s guitar. They arrive at St Nicholas with arrangements of their own and others of American music often from the classic musicals; and music theatre of the 1930s and beyond.
Richard Lorenz Hart’s ‘Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered’ showcases the smoky yet light agile instrument of Reising’s voice. She both swings and charges the melodic line with its own atmosphere; quite apart from the quiet pointilism of Reising’s harp.
That’s true of Gershwin’s ‘Summertime’ here full of languorous sun, swung slowly like all the arrangements here. Hogey Carmichael’s and Ned Washington’s ‘The Nearness of You’ charms rather than compels but Reising sells it by a solo vocal upfront, using her voice as sole instrument with a quiet pluck of guitar. Reising doesn’t always deploy harp – which she manages with consummate skill.
Cole Porter’s ‘I Love Paris’ is late but magical Porter from 1956. Here it’s treated to a full ensemble as between lyric stanzas the duo riff on Porter’s themes; and produce a hinterland instrumented of pure summer. Reising might love Paris in all seasons but her voice loves the summer when it sizzles.
Reising and the late Chris Page wrote ‘Wishbone Ash’, a work of yearning and quiet virtuosity. From the first bars it compels with its subtle harmonies, as if a larger work is about to arrive. It’s in fact a quiet and vernal piece with melismas arching over the instrumentation; and the instruments themselves given a spotlit duo prominence, like a double cadenza of vertiginous interweaved strings. .
The traditional ‘The Water is Wide’ is arranged by Hill from a Scottish (and later American) folk song. It sounds more contemporary and unless you knew the original well, this wouldn’t strike you as a traditional piece at all. The most telling part is the end where “love fades away” repeated to silence.
Porter returns for ‘I’ve Got You Under My Skin’ made even more famous by Frank Sinatra. Sung just to guitar is given the distinctive Revising treatment: breathy, languorous and dreamy. It’s like a reverie in bed, both sexy and yet energetic in its middle section, rising to a touch of urgency.
Reising and Hill are the composers of ‘Won’t You Stay’ which was sadly dropped quietly, due to time constraints.
Astor Piazolla’s ‘Oblivion’ is known for its instrumental apotheosis. Here it’s given thrilling treatment as both a far cooler and jazzy piece but with intricate harp and guitar renderings of the original, replete with harp glissandi. You can hardly details often obscured in the original.
A Benjamin, E Durham, S Marcus and E Seiler are all listed as composers of ‘I Don’t Want to Set the World in Fire’. An upbeat piece to set fire at least to the day, it’s a cheery witty piece of word painting and patter. Here there’s many opportunities for Hill’s guitar to enjoy a solo jam as Revising songs out front and leaves the harp.
Throughout there’s subtle changes of the three instruments including voice. Reusing and Hill are a real discovery in this kind of repertoire. And are unique. Pure June music and highly recommended.
