LIVE: String of Pearls @ the Stockade Inn, 10/18/09

String Of Pearls, the NYC female vocal trio, took center stage at the Stockade Inn in Schenectady on Sunday afternoon for two fabulous sets of songs from the Great American Songbook – and then some.

Susan Halloran, Holli Ross and Saratoga Springs’ own swingin’ songstress Jeannie O’Connor intertwined their fabulous voices in complex vocal harmony, evoking memories of the legendary Andrews Sisters from the 1940s.

From “Doodlin'” to “It Don’t Mean A Thing (If It Ain’t Got That Swing),” these sisters-in-spirit scatted, blew and crooned the classics to the delight of the standing-room-only audience. Backing them was NYC pianist Tony Regusis, as well as Nippertown’s own Pete Toigo on bass and Pete Sweeney on drums.

Together these ladies of song have recorded two inspired CDs in recent years – “Gems” and “Brazilian Jewels” – with top-flight producers at the helm, including traps-meister and composer Akira Tana.

If you like Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, the New York Voices or even the Pointer Sisters, then this is a must-see group because they swing with aplomb and elegance.

Review and photo by Andrzej Pilarczyk