by dick kerekes dickkerekes@yahoo.com
* this article is exclusive to eujacksonville.com
Cabaret singer and local actor Patric Robinson performed a night club show on Saturday April 5 at Genesis Café in the Baymeadows area.
Mr. Robinson calls his shows Classic Patric, because his choice of music is the classics, songs that have made their mark in musical history but you don’t hear often these days. Each show is really a trip down memory lane for the audience. Last Saturday was no exception and as Patric belted out song after song, I found myself remembering where I had heard the song and what events I associated with the words and music. Starting with Pop, Patric followed that with Jazz, Love Letters, Showtime (Broadway tunes), Blues and Inspirational songs.
Remember songs like “Say a Little Prayer for Me”, “Witchcraft”, “As Times Goes By”, “That’s Life”, “I Could Write a Book”, and “Goody Goody”, just to name a few? My particular favorite was the Ray Charles hit “You Don’t Know Me”. Robinson is particularly good at Ray Charles numbers. He does not try to imitate him but sings arrangements sound very much like Charles.
Another song that really moved me was from the musical Showboat, “Old Man River“ which displayed Robinson wide vocal range and strength.
Robinson has two very capable and talented musicians working with him. James Strudivant on keyboard, has been a professional musician for many years, and has been a musical director for theatres throughout the city at various times. John Lowery III has only been in the mix for a few weeks but you would not know it from his handling of the drums. He played as if they had been together for years.
I reviewed Robinson when he launched his cabaret career in 2003 in the Springfield area of this city. I thought he was good then, but he is so much better now. He is so much more comfortable on the stage and as a result connects more with his audience. When he started out he just sang but now he tells interesting and humorous stories and is very adept at ad-libbing as well. During this current show, a cell phone went off when he was relating a humorous incident and he immediately reacted, and playfully wanted to know who had performed the no no! (Not turning off the phone). It happened to be his keyboard player Strudivent, resulting in one of the funniest bits of the evening.
Robinson has added some short stories leading up to songs in the Love Letters segment, that are quite funny and make for greater appreciate of the song when he sings it.
I can honestly say I knew all of the numbers he sang, except for two. Somehow in my life, I missed ever hearing Van Morrison’s “Crazy Love”. In the Inspiration song/finale segment, he did a Mahilia Jackson song, “Consideration “that was new to me but quite beautiful and moving, and one I would like to hear again.
Patric Robinson has been an actor for many years and very active in this field when he is not singing. He recently played a leading role in Limelight’s Raisin In the Sun. Speaking of Limelight, located in St. Augustine, Robinson has a couple of concerts booked into their studio theatre in the near future. Watch for dates and times to e announced soon.
If you are interesting in booking this very personable performer for a party, special occasion, or maybe a wedding, you can contact him at Babyboy Productions www.patrickbiz.com. He can arrange a program of songs especially to fit your wishes. Maybe you’re getting married and would like just a medley of Ray Charles songs, Robinson can do it. Each day in every way, Classic Patric is getting better and better, sounding and looking better so book me a seat for the next show, I always appreciate a trip down memory lane.
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