What could be better than sharing an evening with your Valentine listening to luscious three-part harmonies of some of the best songs of the 1940s and ’50s? The Puppini Sisters delivered just such an evening of magic and music this past Saturday to a packed house at the Staller Center.
“Mr. Sandman,” “Don’t Sit Under the Apple Tree,” and “In the Mood,” were just some of the vintage classics they converted into three part vocals.
They played up their retro appeal with dazzling, 1940s-inspired dresses, glittering ruby stilettos and sky-high feathers in their hair.
The Puppini Sisters, who aren’t sisters at all, are a UK-based jazz group that already has its second record out. Their first record, “Betcha Bottom Dollar,” appeared in 2006. Their second, “The Rise and Fall of Ruby Woo,” debuted last year.
The group, comprised of singer/musicians Marcella Puppini, Stephanie O’Brien and Kate Mullins, formed in 2004, after the women met at London’s Trinity College of Music.
During the concert, the three occasionally played instruments in addition to singing, with Puppini playing the accordion, O’Brien on the electric violin, and Mullins playing a melodic a (something sounding like an accordion but played like a trumpet).
Obviously talented, high-spirited and energetic, in addition to singing “old” song, the Puppini Sisters, who chose their name in homage to The Andrews Sisters, also arranged several new and newer songs in their signature style.
Some of the more memorable arrangements included Blondie’s “Heart of Glass,” Kate Bush’s “Wuthering Heights,” Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive,” as well as Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love.”
The audience seemed enchanted by the rich harmonies, synchronized dance steps, and warm personalities of the performers. The girls themselves encouraged the audience to clap in time to the music and to sing along to “In the Mood.”
An excellent three piece band of electric guitar, drums and upright bass supplemented the harmonies of the singers.
Performing in matching red dresses in the first half and reappearing in differing silver dresses after the break, the Puppini Sisters really did seem like they had just been transported straight out of 1950.
They managed to balance their sets with equal parts fast and bouncy numbers and slower, more thoughtful ones. The performance even included a couple original songs written by the “sisters” themselves. The act also included some on-stage antics, carefully choreographed, to add humor and whimsy to the performance. However, they seemed, at times, to go a little overboard with the act. The music is strong enough to stand on its own, girls.
Overall, it was an evening enjoyable for both lovers and families, with music that is sure to be recalled with nostalgia for quite a while.
