Lorraina Marro- Tribute To Nancy Wilson at the Catalina Jazz Club

Lorraina Marro performed a tribute to Nancy Wilson at the Catalina Jazz Club.

The Singer, After a Long Hiatus, Impresses

By Buddy Sampson

The Catalina Jazz Club, on a balmy evening in Hollywood, was the locale of a wonderful evening of jazz, spearheaded by the sensational performance of singer Lorraina Marro, whose show “How Glad I Am,” was a fine tribute to vocal legend Nancy Wilson. “Nancy Wilson was the reason I started singing,” said Lorraina Marro. “For me, much of my inspiration came from Nancy Wilson.”

Lorraina Marro, born and raised in Los Angeles, has performed in many of the jazz venues in town and has developed a reputation as a true talent. She was selected to participate in the Mercer/Sundance Theatre Program at the Sundance Institute in Utah. In 2004,Marro released her debut CD “You Must Believe In Spring,” and her music video “If Ever I Would Leave You,” is featured on You Tube. See it here.

“It’s been a very long, slow journey for me,” said Lorriana Marro. “I’ve been singing since I was ten, maybe and I started off doing cabaret and then I did jazz and some of the people I’ve met have not been too nice to deal with and then, all of a sudden, in the last year, I feel like some wonderful  people have come into my life.” Marro took time, 27 years, from her musical career to focus on family, and now she’s proving to be worth the wait. “I think things are starting to roll again,” she said, laughing. “I’m in a good place and now that the kids are grown and out of the house, I’m hoping to make this my career. I’ve been waiting a long time to do it.”

Among the wonderful people were her assortment of musicians on stage, which included musical director and pianist Steve Rawlins, bassist Lyman Medeiros, guitarist Doug MacDonald and drummer Steve Pemberton. They served as a very tasty backdrop to the musical canvas that Marro masterfully painted.  She started her set with her version of “You’d Be Nice To Come Home To,” a bluesy number that featured her playful vocals and started giving the audience a sense of her playfulness and charm. She performed a Murray Grand/Elisse Boyd song, “Guess Who I Saw Today,” which would have done Nancy Wilson proud. Among the other songs she performed in her set, were “Don’t Take Your Love From Me,”  “The Grass is Greener,” and “Too Late Now.” But the best song of her set was “You’re Just Too Good To Be True,” a song that truly emphasized her penchant for entertainment, flirting with the audience to great effect. She flirted with a guy in the audience, “Joe,” who she invited to join her on stage. Well “Joe,” was actually a singer named Gary Brumburgh, who was very charming on stage. Their banter and jokes made her already formidable set even better.

Marro was excellent at Catalina. She delivered a heartfelt performance.

Lorraina Marro has a light, but aggressive style to her vocals. Her personal stories and the passion of her vocals reflect the struggles of being a very talented singer with a dream deferred. She’s a true show lady and a consummate entertainer.  If you want to enjoy a romantic, but great evening of jazz with your girl or guy, make it a point to be at one of her next shows. Visit her website at http://www.lorrainamarro.com.

Lorraina Marro. Her sophisticated performance made for a special evening at Catalina.