I saw Gordon at SUNY Purchase on 3/25. I thought it was wonderful! No reasonable person can expect a singer to sound the same at 62 as they did at 32, especially after (and it's no big secret) smoking and drinking for so many years. Even the greatest opera singers, who are trained to sing perfectly, start to decline as the years go on, but if they have some interpretive gifts to offer, the public accepts some vocal flaws. At the concert, I noticed that Gordon was enunciating very clearly, perhaps to make up for the loss of some of the vocal richness. His band was solidly professional, as always. I prefer this type of performance, that is, getting down to business and playing the music, as opposed to seeing ostentatious costumes, light shows, unnecessary dance numbers, etc etc. Just give me the music, and that's what Gordon and his band gave. And very well indeed.
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