Live at Vine Street

Live at Vine Street

Dave Frishberg makes you laugh at the same time as he strikes a convincing hip pose. Certainly he does not get by on anything like a classic singer's voice. His is somewhat pinched, certainly very nasal, and it often barely makes it past statement to song. But he carries it all off with ease. On this 1984 album, the best-known number is "The Sports Page," his most-requested tune after "My Attorney Bernie." Frishberg is his typical self throughout this album: sardonic, chuckling, slightly wan, but ultimately friendly and hopeful. He shows, too, that he can flat out play the piano, with a rollicking, swinging grace and enviable resources. He displays his chops on the eight-minute Johnny Hodges medley without lyrics, "Hodge Podge." <I>--Peter Monaghan</I>