Music Review: #1 Brian Calhoon's "Marimba Cabaret"
A musical review of Brian Calhoon’s
“Marimba Cabaret” with Julian Loida
Debut album released May 12th 2023
I’ve listened to Brian Calhoon’s new record “Marimba Cabaret”, which was recently independently released on all streaming platforms. Brian is a Provincetown-based marimbist/singer that I first heard live in Boston in 2019. And yes, this guy plays the marimba (with four mallets) while singing along into a headset microphone in front of a live audience, all with a smile on his face. Back then I remember thinking, Brian is leveling-up the “piano man” show and the rest of us need to to keep up. So, I was elated to hear that he had finally recorded and released a seven track album of cover tunes, ranging from Broadway hits to Taylor Swift. Here is my review of the album.
The album opens with fluttering marimba and Brian singing the opening line “They say times are hard for dreamers but they won’t be hard for me” from the Broadway production of “Amelie”, and I can’t think of a better opening lyric for the energy on this album. Brian’s joyful performance makes me forget about the world’s troubles for a bit because I am hearing something so new and exuberant. He then cools the listener down with a marimba lullaby re-imagined “Stay with Me” from Into the Woods. For a moment there I thought I had heard it all, until Brian made me want to start a can-can line at the end of “I am what I am”. It is unbelievable to me that Brian is belting this self-love anthem while managing 4 mallet marimba-playing. I remained in awe of his vocal talents in “She Used to be Mine” from the Waitress.
Next, Brian sings Taylor Swift’s “I did something bad” because, why not? The addition of Julian Loida on drums here makes this tune really jam.
Brian plays the marimba with the precision of a highly-trained classical musician, which is exactly what he is. It is a challenging thing to cover a bass line and chords on an instrument with only 4 mallets to do it all, but Brian clearly spends a lot of time condensing harmonies to maximize his accompanying instrument. I think the peak performance for his marimba playing is on his cover of Joni Mitchell’s “River”. This gentle, emotion-filled number makes me wish for a marimba on stage at folk music festivals, accompanying singer-songwriters in the familiar ways that we’ve heard acoustic guitar do so many times. The tenderness he has captured here is, I think, the best part of the album. I hope other artists follow suit and try this sound.
Brian brings it home with Tina Turner’s hit “Simply the Best”, which is probably the tune most listeners will be familiar with. I’m so glad he included this tune, because JUST IN CASE you weren’t sold on marimba + voice, this crowd favorite will surely win you over.
“Marimba Cabaret” goes to show that you don’t need a big fancy studio filled with instruments and a million moving parts, you just need one ridiculously talented and creative person to have a showstopper. I’m not saying I wouldn’t mind hearing him with a full band someday… but I think this debut album establishes that marimba can do more than we knew it could: it really can stand strong as a voice-accompanying co-star. It doesn’t hurt that this singer would impress me before he even stepped up to the marimba. Honestly, if this guy starts tap-dancing, we should all just quit…
Brian is good, old-fashioned talent with a new twist. Times might be hard for dreamers, as Brian sings, but this joyful album is my recommendation for a bright spot for your next record spin.
Listen here: