Melba Moore, A Big Voice In A Small Package

by Bill Rice, The Troy Record, July 4, 1972

Melba Moore’s concert at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center Sunday evening proved that big voices can sometimes come in small packages. The material for Miss Moore’s program, attended by a small crowd of less than 2,000, consisted primarily of songs made familiar by other artists, but as sung by the diminutive, dynamic black artist, sounding very different.

Heard during the course of the evening were such diversified songs as Blue Skies, You’ve Got a Friend, The Long Winding Road, He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother, What the World Needs Now, Everybody is a Star, Don’t Rain on My Parade and a collection of gospel type songs including Swing Down Chariots.

Encouraging Shouts

Again and again in the concert Miss Moore evoked shouts of encouragement from a very responsive audience with soaring vocal gymnastics that revealed a voice of extraordinary range and cutting power.

Our only question was, how much of that sort of thing can be heard in one evening and not seem overdone?

Miss Moore is, indeed, a very explosive enterlainer and considerable spice was added to her program by a wide variety of colorful costumes which were changed in the twinkling of an eyelash as she walked off stage momentarily between songs. Her hairdo was changed, as well, between the first and second half which must have been a job in itself.

Variely was not lacking in Miss Moore’s vocal presentation either. She, at times, sounded cute and coy, like a little girl, and sometimes her piping voice even sounded much like a boy soprano’s. Her voice often finds itself in a slow wobbling vibrato, with intonation sometimes slipping away in the course of things.

Imitations

The former star of the Broadway musical Hair, did a stint of imitations in the second haif. While all of the imilations were not entirely successful—included were Fats Waller, Jimmy Durante, and Billie Holiday—the segment was entertaining enough to keep in her act.

Miss Moore was joined by four black vocalists for some downright exciting gospel singing in the second half, which for this writer was the highlight of the show. The audience, obviously in Melba Moore’s corner before the concert even started, seemed to enjoy every minute.

The Moore concert was preceded by talented comic Martin Braverman. We wondered, as we sat listening to his routine, why his material sounded so familiar until we finally realized he was the fellow who filled in for an extra hour at the Colonie Coliseum two years ago when Melanie was lale for her concert. He didn’t have a Joke left in him when he got through that evening.