Whitfield Sings Praises of Jimmy McHugh

An evening with singer Wesla Whitfield is always something to anticipate with pleasure. Comfortably situated in the fruitful area between cabaret and jazz, she is a consummate storyteller who also knows how to underscore her delivery with a sprightly sense of swing. (Whitfield’s first name was originally spelled Weslia, but she had it legally changed to Wesla to conform with the way she has always pronounced it.)

Wednesday, in the opening-night performance of a two-week run at the Cinegrill in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, Whitfield presented a program devoted to the work of a single composer, Jimmy McHugh. The choice provided her with the opportunity to render some of the classics of the Great American Song Book.

With “Don’t Blame Me,” she found the lyrics’ touching sense of ambivalence as well as the colorful interface between the melody and harmonies. “When My Sugar Walks Down the Street” was delivered as grooving voice and bass duet (with Michael Moore).

On “You’re the One for Me,” Whitfield’s gift for whimsy found precisely the right subject in Johnny Mercer’s witty lyrics. And “I’m in the Mood for Love” was served up as precisely what it is--one of the great romantic ballads.

Each of the tunes was presented in carefully crafted arrangements by her pianist-music director and husband, Mike Greensill. Although he prefers to play a low-visibility role, his creative contributions were a vital element in Whitfield’s performance, as they have been for years.

The decision to devote an entire performance to McHugh, however, left something to be desired. A gifted composer who obviously created some major classics, he nonetheless tended to lack the stylistic identity of, say, a George Gershwin or a Cole Porter. And it didn’t help that he worked with numerous lyricists, often in film music assignments. McHugh’s best results were mostly achieved with Dorothy Fields or Harold Adamson (their lyrics made up two-thirds of the evening’s program). And it was hard to understand why the usually informative Whitfield had so little to say about either of the collaborations.

A few more connective comments about those musical partnerships would have added some needed seasoning to the segments dedicated to McHugh’s more pedestrian efforts.

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* Wesla Whitfield at the Cinegrill, in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, 7000 Hollywood Blvd. Tonight, Saturday, Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday and May 12-13 at 8 p.m. $15 cover charge and two-drink minimum. (323) 466-7000.