Boom! the current album by Liz Callaway and Ann Hampton Callaway, recorded during their Birdland concert in New York City, is all about the music of the baby boomer generation and it is a wonderful celebration of music, of memories and of sisterhood. Liz Callaway who has starred on Broadway as an actress and singer for many years and Ann Hampton Callaway is one of today’s most respected vocalists as well as being a highly regarded songwriter.

Throughout both the music and the memories that Ann and Liz share from the stage and most often humorously, Liz is portrayed as the more conservative and straight laced sister, while Ann is depicted as the nonconformist.  Their repartee is spiced with anecdotes from their childhood, teenage and early adult years.  Yet it is the vocals that stir the soul during this concert recording with performances such as Ann’s rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “A Case of You.”  While she sings, “Oh I could drink a case of you my darling / And I would still be on my feet / I would still be on my feet,” the listener is left with the feeling that you are hearing an intimate conversation, during which one lover is pouring out her heart to another, as Ann accompanies herself elegantly on the piano. There are many reasons why you should purchase Boom! and Ann’s vocal performance on “A Case Of You,” should be the only reason that you need, but then there are equally sparkling performances by Liz Callaway on this album as well.

The album opens with the Paul McCartney / John Lennon song “Got To Get You Into My Life,” which segues into the Garry Bonner and Allan Lee Gordon tune “Happy Together.” Liz and Ann trade verses, before harmonizing on the chorus of both songs and Liz Callaway’s soprano vocals and Ann Hampton Callaway’s alto voice complement each other wonderfully.  It is an invigorating start to a fun and splendid performance by both singers.

Another Beatles’ tune follows with “Come Together,” which is interspersed with reflections upon individual members of the Fab Four and a discussion about the meaning of the lyrics. There is also a revelation about Ann’s first kiss.  Both Ann and Liz demonstrate an easy flowing comedic style that brings a more personal touch to this album and you are left wishing that you could have been at Birdland to watch the facial expressions of both sisters.

It is Liz’s turn to sparkle on the Burt Bacharach and Hal David song “(There’s) Always Something There To Remind Me.” Backup vocals are provided by Ann Hampton Callaway, Alex Rybeck and Jered Egan. We should also mention that throughout this concert, Jered Egan played bass and Ron Tierno was the drummer.

We are treated to a medley of songs that Ann and Liz loved to sing during vacation trips in the car, “Mercedes Benz,” “Brand New Key,” “Sugar, Sugar,” Sly Stone’s “Dance To The Music,” “Sweet and Innocent,” by Rick Hall and Bill Sherill and a rocking version of Three Dog Night’s “Joy To The World.”

There are fourteen vocal tracks, representing either in full or in medley style, thirty-one songs, each marvelously arranged by Alex Rybeck, Liz Callaway and Ann Hampton Callaway, with orchestration by Alex Rybeck.

This album is Pop, it rocks and at times it is beautifully romantic with “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’,” made famous by the Righteous Brothers and written by Phil Spector, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. The soulful performance by Ann and Liz stands right up there with that of the Righteous Brothers.

For those of us who grew up in the 1960’s, the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War and protest songs shaped who a lot of us are today and that was the case for Ann and Liz as well, which makes even more poignant the Bob Dylan song “Blowin’ In The Wind,” (with additional lyrics by Ann) a song that was based upon a Negro spiritual from the 1800’s.

Liz Callaway’s breathtaking performance of the Jimmy Webb songs “Didn’t We,” and “MacArthur Park,” (written with Adrian Drover) is another reason why you should purchase Boom! The song showcases Liz’s range and powerful vocals, as well as her impeccable phrasing. Liz Callaway then sails into two Pop songs made popular by Petula Clark, “I Know A Place,” and “Downtown.”  The songwriter for both songs is Tony Hatch.

In 1966 Nancy Sinatra’s recording of the Lee Hazelwood song “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’,” hit # 1 on the American and U.K. music charts, yet Ann Hampton Callaway and Liz Callaway bring a softer, more flirtatious element to the song and Jered Egan (bass) and Ron Tierno (drums) set the mood splendidly. At the end of the song Ann announces, “Sisters united in go go boots.” The song is followed by them remembering how different they were as they were growing up, as reflected in descriptions of their bedrooms.

As we move into the latter stages of this delicious recording, we are treated to two pretty duets, Carly Simon and Jacob Brackman’s “That’s The Way I’ve Always Heard It Should Be,” and “The Way We Were,” (Marvin Hamlisch / Alan and Marilyn Bergman).

A tribute to Stevie Wonder is served up, courtesy of a duet medley, “All In Love Is Fair,” “You Are The Sunshine of My Life,” “Sir Duke,” “Living For The City,” “Isn’t She Lovely,” “Mo Cherie Amour,” “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing,” and “Knocks Me Off My Feet.”

Again we are treated to the diversity of these two splendid singers as the album closes out with the duets “For Once In My Life,” (Ron Miller and Orlando Murden) and Carole King’s “You’ve Got A Friend,” from her Tapestry album.

Boom! is one descriptive word that can be used for this album by the same name, another is Wow!

This review is protected by copyright © All Rights Reserved by Riveting Riffs Magazine