In
Nat Hentoff’s excellent 1960’s YA novel Jazz
Country a white teen-aged aspiring musician resolves to become a civil
rights attorney after spending time with African American jazz musicians. Although sadly out-of-print at this time, one
has to wonder of its spirit inspired a new dramedy about a crooning
lawyer. While lacking Hentoff’s depth
and authority, there are the odd moments in Michael Kristoff’s Live at the Foxes Den (trailer here), which opens
tomorrow in New York.
Michael
Kelly always wanted to be a lawyer, but he is too honest and disorganized to
cut it in his big corporate firm. The
only thing saving him is his relationship the senior partner’s daughter. She is delusional and controlling, but
frankly he could probably do worse.
After a long day of getting chewing out, Kelly and his fellow associates
stop in at the Foxes Den for a drink or six.
As proprietor Earl Stein, often clarifies: “it’s a lounge, not a bar.” Acting on instinct, Kelly sings a number with
the boozy cocktail pianist and something just clicks.
Soon,
he has chucked in his associate’s gig in order to croon full time at the once
swanky lounge. Not soon enough though. Kelly’s scenes of white collar alienation are
a particularly tiresome assemblage of clichés.
Of course, once installed at the lounge, he starts to get involved in
the lives of the regulars and staff.
However, his accompanist, the independently wealthy but self-destructive
Chad Barrows, is a tough nut to crack.
There
is a lot of painting by numbers in Den,
but its affection for the Great American Songbook and piano bars like the Foxes
Den (kind of like Brandy’s here in the City, but without the rep amongst those
in the know) keeps it afloat. If you dig
standards it is hard not to like Den, even
if most of the performances are more lounge than jazz. Be that as it may, composer-co-star Jack
Holmes’ original “Pour Me Another Dream” is easily as good as any of the tunes
that will be nominated for best song at the upcoming Oscars. Den also
features the appealingly swinging sounds of a jazz quartet led by the
tragically late Austin Peralta (with Tony Austin on drums, Ryan McGillicuddy on
bass, and Will Artrope on trumpet).
In
fact, Holmes is quite strong both musically and dramatically as Barrows. Jackson Rathbone (perhaps best known for a
vampire franchise called something like Dusk
or some such) has a strong voice, but his delivery often sounds forced, as
if he is never really comfortable with the repertoire. Still, his golly-gee-ness works well enough
for Kelly’s straight scenes. Playing
against type, Bob Gunton has some nice moments as Foxes regular Tony O’Hara. Unfortunately, if you blink, you might miss Caity
Lotz as Susan Hudson, the co-worker Kelly ought to be romancing.
