Barbra at the Village Vanguard

Barbra, Barbra, Barbra... Now, I'm not sure if my review of this will be considered unbiased because, as anyone who knows me will tell you, I worship this woman. However, I can tell you why this particular show is very special and unlike anything we've seen from Babs before.

First off, everything Barbra does, she knocks out of the park. Whenever she performs anywhere, it's a sell-out. The Village Vanguard is a little jazz club in the Village that's been around since the 30's. A club Barbra actually sang in when she was first starting out on the nightclub circuit. She hasn't sung in a club since the 60's. The audience consisted of about 135 people crammed into the tiny club. Among them were Nicole Kidman, Sarah Jessica Parker, Donna Karen, Bill & Hillary Clinton, Marilyn and Allan Bergman, and a bunch of other celebrities and contest winners who were lucky enough to win tickets to be there. I, though I tried in vein, failed to win any of the contests. Anyway, you've never seen Barbra in such an intimate setting. She completely lets loose and just chats and sings and it feels like you're seeing a whole other side to her, which is quite something since she's been around for almost 50 years.

Every song choice is flawless. My favorite is one of the old songs that she used to sing when she was in her late teens called "Nobody's Heart Belongs To Me". I've always loved that song. She also sings a few songs she hasn't done since the 60's like "Bewitched" and "My Funny Valentine". The program consists mostly of songs from her new album, "Love is The Answer", including my favorite, "In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning".

Seeing Barbra so laid-back and uninhibited has made me only love her more. That incredible talent, that dry sense of humor, and those character defining gestures are all there, only on a much more personal level. If you love Barbra as I do, if you love jazz, or if you simply like to hear good music, go out and get this on dvd or blu-ray! We don't have many legends left so it's a good thing the few that we do have keep on singing!