Denise Perrier                     the voice with a heart"  
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 SPECIAL SHOWS

  "UNFORGETTABLE" - A Tribute to Dinah Washington

  Denise performs in the persona of the jazz/blues/pop icon.  From costume to repertoire, the vivacious vocalist brings "the Queen"  back to life, performing her greatest hits, from "I Wanna Be Loved" to "Big Long Sliding Thing."  Denise has taken this critically-acclaimed show from the San Francisco Bay Area to various venues around the country and it is always a big hit.

  CLICK TO HEAR DENISE DOING DINAH'S HIT TUNES:

   "Drinking Again"
   "Again"
   "Salty Papa Blues"
   "What a Difference a Day Made"
   "This Bitter Earth"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I recently had the pleasure of seeing one of San Francisco's treasures, Denise Perrier, in her acclaimed one woman show "Bessie, Dinah and Me" at the Rrazz Room. I have been enjoying Denise since I moved back to the Bay Area in 1982, and I was expecting the usual high standard performance that Denise always gives. But, I was truly amazed at this performance - Denise is clearly at the top of her form. Her intonation was pitch perfect, her phrasing was impeccable and she was able to sustain long notes with a beautiful, controlled vibrato at the end of the phrase. When she came out onto the stage, completely took it over as if she owned it. Totally relaxed and confident, she glowed. The show was obviously built around two of Denise's inspirations, Bessie Smith and Dinah Washington.

During the first part, Denise came out dressed like Bessie, tall, regal and all-knowing with a sly smile she gave the aura of Bessie. She started the show with "Gimme a Pigfoot" and then launched into some of Bessie's well known songs such as "I Need a Little Sugar in My Bowl", "Blackwater Blues", and "Good Old Wagon". Her voice is different from Bessie's, she has a sweeter sound than Bessie did, but the interpretations were pure Bessie.


  		    
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

  "BESSIE,  DINAH  AND ME....DENISE"

 

 

DENISE has portrayed Bessie Smith in theatical productions "Blues in the Night" and "In the House of the Blues" with great success. For one thing, she bears a resemblance to the Empress of the Blues, Bessie Smith, and for another, she has a contralto voice which is reminiscent of the powerful  voice of the blues icon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 After a change of costume, Denise came out as Dinah Washington. Dinah is one of Denise's inspirations. When Denise was starting out in the business, Dinah noticed Denise wore a turquoise dress but not with matching shoes. A few days later Dinah presented Denise with a pair of shoes that matched the gown. (As an aside, when Dinah was just starting out, Ella bought her a dress - maybe Dinah was "paying it forward".) Denise started with "September in the Rain" and continued with "Unforgettable" and the comical "Relax Max", followed by, to me, the highlight of the show "Don't Touch Me". Dinah was present in the room that night.

After a short interlude, Denise came back as herself and wowed the crown with some of her favorite songs including "You Better Love Me While You May", a plaintive "I Want to Be Loved", a rocking "Lover Come Back to Me" and one of my favorite songs, "I Love You More Today Than Yesterday".

It was a bravura performance by of one of our finest singers. As I said before, Denise is at the top of her game and she provided one of the most enjoyable nights I have spent in a club in a long time.

Jim Blackman