Noel Coward searchs Craigslist

There is something cool about watching artists develop.

It was been particularly interesting watching how the pianist/composer/songwriter Gabriel Kahane has grown. His first songs were in the vaguely confessional/intelligent singer at a piano mode, but there was too much of a sense of wit to stay there...Noel Coward meet Jim Croce. His piano writing was more early 20th century lieder than Billy Joel...what the heck do you do with a pop song sung over Alban Berg?

That has been Gabriel's predicament, and his show at Joe's Pub on April 9 offered some answers. First, you don't try to remedy it. You accept it and revel in it. The crowd, which included a lot of music undustry types, could appreciate the piano skills and the piano writing skills, and also appreciate Gabe's ability to sing over difficult piano lines (I mean seriously Gabe, stop showing off).

Second, you add some talented band members for a couple songs, to take the limelight away from the piano for a while (some of the band members appear with EVERYONE. Rob Moose, looking your way), allowing the actually songwriting and singing to be focused on.

Finally, you accept who are you and what you can do. Gabriel set a number of Craigslist ads to music, and the cycle, Craigslistlieder, is a witty, dirty, slightly poignant parody of art songs meeting pop songs, and how tongue in cheek it is is a little hard to read. I've heard Gabriel perform it before, but in Joe's Pub, as part of a larger set which included a band, it felt fresh and different, and less "showy."

I believe that other people have started performing Criagslistlieder, which suggests that it is moving into the realm of art songs which are intepretted rather than a pop song which is identified with one person. This is in interesting development, and may allow Gabriel, whose music sits merrily on the fence, to continue playing in both pastures.