Frank Dain



*Show Biz Time Magazine* Frank Dain. An amazing and accomplished man at so many levels (artist, designer, cabaret star, writer, Editor-in-Chief of Cabaret Scenes) a superb singer with irresistible charisma, elegant finesse, substance, warmth and depth.

WARD MOREHOUSE III *Life at the Top - Inside New York's Grand Hotels* Cafe Pierre: Ms. Landis accompanied the evening's guest singer... Performing to a sold-out room,the created a intimate musical soiree reminiscent of the salon evenings of Mabel Mercer.

ROY SANDER Back Stage The theme of Frank Dain's new show at Don't Tell Mama, which was directed by Lisa Asher, is taking chances. But that isn't merely the theme, it's what Dain has done, for with this show he has stretched himself, and in so doing reached a new artistic level. When I reviewed him two years ago, I acknowledged his development to that point, but suggested that he still needed to give some interpretations a stronger point of view. Well, now there isn't a number in which he doesn't stake out a position. With Tom Waits's Shiver Me Timbers, he projects warmth and decency, and his introductory patter gives the song additional resonance. With Let Yourself Go, he does just that, becoming the embodiment of joy, and a medley of I Believe and Cockeyed Optimist builds ever higher in its degree of affirmation. (Superb arrangements throughout by musical director Rick Jensen.) Had I been asked, I would have advised against his doing Noel Coward's Bar on the Piccola Marina –but I would have been wrong, for wisely eschewing a British accent, he makes it work on his own terms through witty phrasing and an ebullient delivery. And though he hasn't nailed it–but I've no doubt he will–interesting choices keep the too-often-done Everybody Says Don't fresh.

LAURIE LAWSON, Electronic Link Journey Frank Dain's new show at Don't Tell Mama, Let Yourself Go! is about opening your mind, taking chances, changing bad habits, and moving on. His eclectic group of songs includes works from Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Noel Coward, Craig Carnelia, and Johnny Nash. Dain is a great crooner with a throaty, reverberating voice. He makes you aware of that fact with the opening of his first song, Why Walk When You Can Fly, which he performs a capella With dimples from ear to ear, he easily slips into a rapid-fire rendition of I Have Confidence/Everybody Says Don't, a fun and lively Let Yourself Go, and a cute presentation of Last Day of Pompeii. But his ballads are the most impressive–a beautiful I Surrender, a passionate Flight by Craig Carnelia, an on-target I Can See Clearly Now, and an inspirational and marvelous arrangement of I Believe and A Cockeyed Optimist. He is accompanied by the talented Rick Jensen on piano and Dave Phillips on bass. You're sure to find at least one song that speaks directly to you in Let Yourself Go! Frank Dain has an enthusiasm and intensity that's contagious.

J. RUDOLPH ABATE *The Free Press* With his sweet creamy baritone and Italian good looks, Frank Dain (short for Dionisio) rolled back the clock at Don't Tell Mama to a time when Hi-Fi LPs featured lushly scored ballads sung by dreamy-eyed crooners like Vic Damone and Julius LaRosa. Unabashedly romantic, with a romantic's penchant for optimism, he opened his set with Cy Coleman's The Best Is Yet To Come and encored with Kenny Loggins's Wait A Little While, also a song of hopeful anticipation. If in between his heart got bruised--Don McLean's soulful Empty Chairs, segueing into a slowly dawning regret of It Never Entered My Mind, Johnny Mercer's This Time The Dream's On Me leading into a growingly desperate I Cover The Waterfront–humor (I Wanna Be Around), philosophy (Billy Joel's Summer, Highland Falls) and friendship (Rick Jensen's In Passing Years) eased the ache. Never down for long, he closed with a quietly expanding Nearness Of You: when a man like Mr. Dain loves, it must be proclaimed. As staged by Lisa Asher, lit by Bobby Kneeland, and performed by a trio of top musicians, this is the kind of show to wrap yourself up in or, better yet, to cuddle up with your honey to–that's how Mr. Dain's voice makes you feel.

ROY SANDER Back Stage Judging by his new show at Don't Tell Mama directed by Lisa Asher, singer Frank Dain has developed considerably as an artist since I first reviewed him three years ago. A pairing of Don McLean's rueful Empty Chairs and Rodgers and Hart's It Never Entered My Mind is emotionally centered, highly focused, beautifully sung, and boasts a lovely arrangement by musical director Rick Jensen. Wouldn't You Like To Know is good fun, and Jensen's sweetly touching In Passing Years is all one could wish for. In several other numbers, Dain sounds quite nice...his growth is most gratifying.

MARJORIE GUNNER *Italian Tribune News* Italian Frank Dain, at Don't Tell Mama on West 46th Street, is a budding Johnny Mathis, even to the slight tremor in his pure timbre. This swarthy, affable young man's rendition of The Sweetest Sounds would delight composer Richard Rodgers. A medley around It Never Entered My Mind smoothly entwines lyrics with parallel, blending sentiments. Dain has a lightheartedness that endears him to the lolling crown. He welcomes the night hours gently.

LAURIE LAWSON, Electronic Link Journey Frank Dain is proud to be Italian and has a penchant for ballads. That's fine; his breathless, throaty voice makes a ballad something special. Richard Rodgers' The Sweetest Sounds becomes just that under the loving care of Dain. Don McLean's Empty Chairs is a passionate lament against a background of soft music, and he is masterful with I Cover The Waterfront and The Nearness of You. He can also handle the upbeat, from a bright and bouncy Wouldn't You Like To Know to a preciously vindictive I Wanna Be Around. Dain's show, directed by Lisa Asher, is a romantic grouping of songs from the 1930's to the present. Accompanied by musical director Rick Jensen on piano, Jack Bashkow on woodwinds, and Dan Martin on bass and guitar, Frank Dain is a Crooner Supreme. A delightful mix of Johnny Mathis and Frank Sinatra, he mesmerizes with his heartfelt renderings of love songs. It's a voice you want to hear coming out of your radio late at night–you create the circumstances, Dain will provide the rest.

STU HAMSTRA Cabaret Hotline On-Line One of the first cabaret shows I ever reviewed was several years ago after I had seen Frank Dain perform at Danny's Skylight Room. Frank was fairly new on the cabaret scene and I was impressed. I predicted that this young man would soon be among the top male vocalists in cabaret. His shows over the past few years have proved me right, and his recent shows at Don't Tell Mama place him thisclose to achieving his potential. Frank has a wonderful voice, an easy going personality, and a charming attitude that many more recognized singers in cabaret lack. Frank's opening song is The Best Is Yet To Come, but I doubt things could get much better. The smooth, lush voice is best suited for the "heart-tugging" numbers, and many were sprinkled through the show. He sings them with such gusto, you sometimes forget that the songs were meant to break your heart. Once again Rick Jensen's musical direction gave this performer a firm underpinning. Lisa Asher's direction is astounding in that one only notices it on reflection. The show remains truly Frank Dain.

STU HAMSTRA Cabaret Hotline On-Line On the 12th of November, I received an e-mail message from B. Douglas Swiszcz, with the following message (unedited): "Just wanted to let you know that I saw Frank Dain's 4 PM performance at Don't Tell Mama this past Sunday (Nov. 10th)...and was totally blown away! What a voice...what a presence...Dain brought a "just bubbling under the surface" intensity to his delivery of a splendid program which included some interesting medleys. To juxtapose Don McLean's Empty Chairs with It Never Entered My Mind was a brilliant idea! Dain had solid support from his pianist, bass player, and the woodwinds/reeds of Jack Bashkow (who once played for one of my favorite singers, Jane Olivor). Pianist/musical arranger Rick Jensen's In Passing Years, which has appeared on the albums of singers like Nancy LaMott and Lee Lessack, was given an expressive reading by Dain. Right from the opening medley of The Best Is Yet To Come/The Sweetest Sounds, Dain was sure to make eye contact with the individual members of the audience. Here is a handsome, talented gentleman who is a polished performer. Cabaret at it's best! I wish Mr. Dain a bright future...and a recording contract!" I saw the show on the 15th, and I have to say to Mr. Swiszcz, whoever you are, that you have caught the spirit of the show on paper better than I could have ever done. The first time I heard Mr. Dain sing was at a show at Danny's Skylight Room a few years ago. At that time I said that he had one of the finest voices in cabaret. I repeat that accolade this time around with one additional comment. Frank Dain brings a freshness and special flavor to his material that makes you lean forward in your seat so you don't miss a second of this exciting show. Frank has surrounded himself with some talented musicians and Rick Jensen's arrangements and orchestrations were superb, befitting such a sparkling performer. And while I don't particularly enjoy the sound of a saxophone, there were times in this show where Jack Bashkow's haunting sounds were indispensable.