2019 declared itself the year of Michel Legrand in the life of Melissa Errico. Asked by The New York Times to offer the eulogy to her beloved collaborator, on Jan. 28th The Times published her affectionate appreciation. Not long after, she was invited to become the sole American performer to participate in the extraordinary two-day memorial to Legrand held in April at Paris’ Le Grand Rex Theatre, the Radio City Music Hall of the French capital (a concert made the more moving by coinciding with the great fire in Notre Dame). Then, as though any more auspicious omens were needed, Melissa recently discovered a lost vault of beautifully recorded studio tapes she had made of Legrand songs, with Legrand himself on the piano, exquisite vocal sketches for the album that became the canonic Legrand Affair. Inspired by both the April memorial and the newly discovered material, in May Melissa took her vision of the French composer to San Francisco for an extraordinary one night only concert, causing one reviewer to announce that “Errico is, and will continue to be, the premier interpreter of the musical legacy of Michel Legrand.”
This November at Feinstein’s/54 Below, Melissa will offer New York the Legrand performance that thrilled and moved Paris and San Francisco – “Working with Michel was one of the highlights of my musical life – it’s as though this year, his spirit is at my shoulder and asking me to sing. I wanted to write about him, and now sing about and through him”. Her show, another instance of what she calls her special new form of ‘talking cabaret’ – or the caber-essay – will celebrate Legrand both by telling the story of his life and work, while offering a range of material with her matchless accompanist Tedd Firth.