National Sawdust Brooklyn, NY
Contact: laura@glodownead.com
Players: Art of Time Ensemble featured singers Steven Page, Sarah Slean, Tom Wilson, and Gregory Hoskins
On a snowy February night in Brooklyn, attendees gathered at the intimate National Sawdust for Art of Time Ensemble’s tribute to Leonard Cohen, A Singer Must Die. Visiting from Toronto, the ensemble performed unique arrangements of Cohen’s work, aiming to honor him but also bring their own twist. Featuring a violin, cello, double bass, acoustic and electric guitars, woodwinds, and piano, the ensemble hosted a rotating roster of singers. As the setlist ticked by, the audience was treated to the clear vocals of Steven Page, Sarah Slean’s theatrical timbre, Gregory Hoskins’ rock-inspired tenor, and the dark grit of Tom Wilson.
Steven Page opened the show with the namesake "A Singer Must Die.” His voice rang out over a twinkling piano and a countermelody in the strings. Frequently, the instrumentals had a mournful intonation, even if the notes were short and bouncing. Next was Slean, then Hoskins, and finally Wilson. Without following a set pattern, each singer took a few minutes to chat with the audience and explain their personal connection to Cohen’s work. Wilson told stories about Cohen’s relationship to the Mohawk tribe, of which he is a member, and played acoustic guitar. Slean discussed the political implications of her choices, finishing her set with “Take this Waltz” while dancing herself off the stage to the lilting melody. It added sentimentality and personality to their performances. Each would do one song at a time, then introduce the next performer.
To suit each vocalist’s unique style, the ensemble flexed between genres like theater, lounge, classical, jazz, waltz, and rock. Tracks like “Dress Rehearsal Rag,” “I’m Your Man,” and “Treaty” featured swelling waves of sound, rising and falling through the verses and choruses. The ensemble showed great control with “The Future,” “Boogie Street,” and “Famous Blue Raincoat,” all of which employed calculated discordance and irregular rhythms. As Wilson growled through “Darkness,” the ensemble leaned into the asynchronous as if they were on a carnival ride that was slowly breaking down. From top to bottom, Art of Time injected their own spin on Cohen’s classics.
As the group left the stage after their final track, the crowd delivered a standing ovation, knowing that there was one more Cohen song we all wanted to hear. Sure enough, the ensemble returned with Page and Hoskins for the final encore, “Hallelujah.”
