The World Could Use More Burt Bacharach

TODD RUNDGREN

Burt Bacharach is one of the most accomplished composers within the industry. For decades, his songs elevated the careers of beloved artists and resonated with the hearts of millions. In honor of his catalog of songs, the “What The World Needs Now: The Burt Bacharach Songbook Live” concert tour was created. It was envisioned by Rob Shirakbari, who is also the production’s music director.

Beginning in March, this tour has paid tribute to Bacharach’s work in the best way possible. By working with some of the best talent, and visiting as many cities to play these songs before welcoming audiences. One of their seated performances was held at a live music venue located within Del Mar, The Sound.

The audience clapped for the band as the musicians maneuvered through the dark to their places onstage, which featured the talents

of Probyn Gregory and Kenny Dickenson. One by one, every performer was bathed in a golden light. Their painted backdrop depicted a city bustling with life, even at the latest hour. American musician and singer-songwriter, Todd Rundgren, was attired in a glittering suit. He opened the show with “Any Day Now,” and was followed by Wendy Moten. From Memphis, Tennessee, she made a name for herself as a jazz vocalist appearing on The Voice.

KASIM SULTON, KENNY DICKENSON, ROB SHIRAKBARI, TODD RUNDGREN

“How y’all doing out there? Y’all look beautiful,” she said. Moten’s first song of the evening was “Walk On By.” Her heavenly voice and soaring accompaniment would suit a film score. Visions of walking this familiar yet lonesome road, submerged in the city life at night, came to mind as the musicians played on.

Woody Mankowski, vocalist and woodwinds, stepped forward with a voice that carried far and wide. “This is a song made famous by Dusty Springfield,” he said. Without further delay, he sang “I Just Don’t Know What To Do with Myself,” emoting a man now aimless without his love. He blew a kiss to the sky.

The gentleman of the hour was seated at the piano. Shirakbari welcomed the audience. “Good evening everyone! We’re going to do a lot of music for you tonight and all of it has one thing in common. The melodies and music were composed by the great Burt Bacharach.” He shared that Bacharach wrote many songs, having hit records by the late 1950s. These songs were on the radio, television and featured in films for seven consecutive decades. He wrote for some of the biggest names within the music industry, and a varied collection of those songs were played during the show.

WENDY MOTEN

Rundgren returned, honing a somber sound for “A House Is Not a Home.” Afterwards, Shirakbari spoke about his experience in working with Bacharach as both his keyboardist and music director. Having spent a lifetime performing Bacharach’s work, he expressed how happy he was to keep that dream alive. “His songs were instrumental in helping break in new artists as well. For the time, that was introducing the world to Dionne Warwick, The Carpenters, Jackie DeShannon and so on. So in that spirit, I’m very thrilled to introduce to you now, on her very first American US tour, the wonderful Miss Tori Holub.”

Holub was a daydream, walking onstage attired in a sky-blue gown. With effortless sublimity, she sang “I’ll Never Fall In Love Again.” In all her grace, even her banter with Shirakbari between songs was a pleasure to watch. Once, she playfully asked what city they were in. “San Diego,” answered Shirakbari.

“Oh, I thought we were in San Jose,” Holub chimes, leading straight into “Do You Know The Way to San Jose.” The trumpeter was the unsung hero of this show, adding such character to the structure of the song. The shared hilarity between the musicians continued when Kasim Sulton, on guitar, asked if he could get a song. Shirakbari chuckled, telling him to hold on, as they were preparing for something really special.

WOODY MANKOWSKI

Moten, in her sparkling splendor, returned to sing “Message To Michael,” elevated by the timber of the congas. Afterwards, Mankowski stepped forward to sing another song, “In Between The Heartaches.” The combined tones of Mankowski, Moten and Holub’s sultry voices resulted in real-time brilliance.

Rundgren returned and sang “Anyone Who Had a Heart,” with Shirakbari playing him in. The pitch of his rendition was lowered, ensuring a slower-paced, bluesy feel. His vocals resembled prideful cries directed toward God. The lasting gut-punch was when the whole band joined to sing out the final lyrics with him.

“I’m sure that some of you have heard that we lost one of our greatest treasures, Mrs. Roberta Flack to ALS,” Moten said, reapproaching centerstage. Solum hums in agreeance swept over the space, answering her. “So I wanted to sing this particular song, cause it’s a tricky and complicated love story.” Released in 1982, Moten sang “Making Love.” To harken back to the sounds of the eighties, Shirakbari switched out his piano and for a keyboard. Moten was a spectacle, eliciting goosebumps with every verse she sang.

L to R
PROBYN GREGORY, WOODY MANKOWSKI, ELISE TROUW, ROB SHIRAKBARI, KASIM SULTON, KENNY DICKENSON

The constant rotation of vocalists offered something new for each song, a rich charcuterie plate fit for the audience’s appreciation. Mankowski returned, singing “Promises, Promises.” He skillfully handled each key change, lifting the song higher and higher. It sounded like a singer’s moment of clarity, chasing hope. By contrast, Rundgren’s “God Give Me Strength” fell in line with the melancholic theme of most of his songs. Passion would run through him like a current, down to the constant expressive rotation of his hand.

As though right on cue, Sulton leaned into his microphone. He humorously asked if he could sing a song. “No, Kas, it’s not time yet,” Shirakbari smiled. “I got something special coming up. I’d like to introduce you to our drummer. She is a multi-instrumentalist and indie artist. She’s been on Jimmy Kimmel, she’s opened for the rock band Incubus and she is from right here in San Diego. Please welcome Elise Trouw!” Trouw was a delight, going on to sing “Little Red Book.” Her precision on the drum set was nothing short of mesmerizing, paired with a youthful voice. It was impossible not to smile when she was at the reins.

“Okay! Now, ladies and gentlemen, Kasim Sulton!” Shirakbari laughs. The ongoing joke of the night had finally paid off. Sulton rushed forward to sing “Always Something There to Remind Me,” a song that was a hit two times. A most entertaining performer, Sulton made the song feel brand new, like rediscovering an old treasure. It wasn’t a surprise when the audience began singing along with him toward the end.

ROB SHIRAKBARI

“Well, thanks for warming them up for me, Kas,” Rundgren says, much to Sulton and the audience’s amusement. “Time has come for you to get in touch with your inner pussycat. Can I get a woo-woo?” After hearing the crowd’s eagerness to echo his words, Rundgren agreed that they were ready. Like the legendary character he is, he performed Tom Jones’ “What’s New Pussycat?” It was the final song of the first act. “Thank you pussies!” Rundgren cheered, causing the space to roar with unsuppressed laughter.

After intermission, Rundgren and Holub returned with “Make It Easy On Yourself.” Moten revealed how her next song was a hit from the great Dionne Warwick in 1964, but was made an even bigger hit in 1972 by The Stylistics. She gave a soulful rendition of “You’ll Never Get To Heaven If You Break My Heart.”

“Yeah, never thought you’d see that!” Moten cheered, “look who’s down here. Woody!” Mankowski and Moten stood side by side, readying to sing “On My Own” by Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald. It was the most highly-received song of the show, causing people to rise up and shower them with such applause. Upon finishing a few instrumental pieces from “Casino Royale,” Trouw sang “The Look Of Love.” For a moment, it was only her and Shirakbari at the piano. But overtime, the intricacies of the song changed.

L TO R
PROBYN GREGORY, WOODY MANKOWSKI, ELISE TROUW, KASIM SULTON, WENDY MOTEN, KENNY DICKENSON, ROB SHIRAKBARI

Seated beneath a singular spotlight with guitars in hand, Rundgren and Sulton settled in for an acoustic duet. “Hello. He’s Garf and I’m uncle. Together, we’re uncle Garf,” Rundgren jokes. The pair sang yet another one of Bacharach’s beautiful yet sentimental classics. It was “Trains and Boats and Planes.”

“Oh, I get to sing another song!” Sulton beamed. “This is a special song, because it was in a really big movie by Steven Spielberg. Neil Diamond sang the soundtrack, he co-wrote it as well with Burt. It’s a beautiful song and I’m happy to be doing it. It’s called Heartlight.” The joy he expressed could be felt throughout the piece. Not only did it suit his voice naturally, but he succeeded in interjecting whimsy.

“Does anyone remember the ABC Monday Night Movie in the seventies? Well, guess who wrote the theme for that? It was for his daughter. It was called ‘Nikki.’” Shirakbari said, segueing into another enchanting song that said so much without the addition of leading vocals. Mankowski’s efforts on the saxophone further enhanced the song, blending seamlessly into Moten’s “One Less Bell To Answer.”

KASIM SULTON and KENNY DICKENSON

“You know what? I need a friend to help me sing this one,” Moten said, “Everybody needs a good friend.” Sung by Dionne Warwick, Elton John, Gladys Knight and Stevie Wonder, the song Moten was preparing for was “That’s What Friends Are For.” It was popularized for being a charity single for AIDs research and prevention, raising millions and solidifying itself as a classic. Mankowski sang it alongside Moten.

Afterwards, Mankowski performed “Arthur’s Theme,” one of Christopher Cross’ biggest hits. Holub and Moten sang back-up, adding fluttery upper harmonies. By the midpoint of the song, a crewmember rushed forward and handed Mankowski his saxophone. He thanked them, then played the iconic alto-saxophone solo associated with the song. It was an impressive display, one that effectively communicated his talent.

“This Guy’s In Love,” sung by Sulton, with backing vocals from Moten and Holub, was poetry turned music. An instant staple of an already wondrous performance. Everyone’s hearts ceased when Holub covered “Close To You” by The Carpenters, due to how similar she sounded to Karen Carpenter herself.

“Looks like you’re having a good time tonight,” Wendy acknowledges with a warm voice, right before moving into “I Say A Little Prayer For You.” Blue lights illuminated the stage as Rundgren reappeared.

ELISE TROUW

“The world, that big old thing out there. But what’s going on with the world? It’s hard to understand,” he begins, commenting on how he’s since stopped watching the news. “There’s that world, the world that we imagine. We wonder what the hell can we do about that? But the reality is that we all live in our own little world. We all have our own personal world with our friends, family, the people we meet and work with.”

“That’s the world,” Rundgren says. “It’s not that thing out there. The world is your world, and all those worlds put together make up the world. So you wonder, what can I do about the world and the state that it’s in? You can do what you have always done.” His sincere musing transformed into “What The World Needs is Love.” It was originally intended to be the last song of the night, but the audience pleaded for more. The show concluded with two outstanding numbers. An iridescent interpretation of “Alfie,” sung by Moten and Trouw. Then finally, “Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head,” performed by Rundgren.