Dr. Bob’s Jazz Review
Clairdee at Montclair
(September 2008)

Some people are luckier than others. You were among the lucky ones if you caught the hour-long show by Clairdee and her group on Sunday, September 7th, in the village of Montclair in the East Bay Hills. It took exactly one number to sweep the crowd into her magic act. Her voice soared, she swung to the lyrics, she clapped, danced and generally brought the heat up somewhere north of boiling. It was no-holds-barred jazz. The crowd ate it up — LOUD clapping and cheering after each number, and a full house STANDING O at the end.

Clairdee recognized a number of friends in the audience. (They can’t get enough of this lady who has the warmest, most caring website in the business.) Yet people who knew nothing about her, quickly recognized they were seeing someone special. By sheer coincidence, I was seated next to a woman who is related to Irving Berlin — and when Clairdee sang his “Blue Skies” as the finale, this lady sang it along from her seat. Kinda nice. Another staple of Jazz, popular with the audience, and included in her CD titled “Clairdee Music Moves,” was "Summertime." Clairdee simply nailed it.

The group also included Ken French on keyboards; Ron Belcher, acoustic bass; and Jim Zimmerman, drums. One fine way to spend a Sunday afternoon!