Friday night cabaret: Baritone Peter McGillivray bears his secret musical heart with the Billy Eckstine songbook

Toronto baritone Peter McGillivray is a fabulous art song interpreter (his CD, Summer Schemes, is a must-listen). Tomorrow night at 8, he’s trying his hand at something new: the songs of jazz crooner Billy Eckstine, at the Green Door Cabaret (surrounded by all sorts of hip coffee joints and other shops on Ossington Ave., south of Dundas St).

His accompanist is Canadian musical theatre powerhouse David Warrack, which should make for a pretty special night out.

Here’s what McGillivray wrote back when I asked him in an email what he is up to with this show:

Bob Missen asked me to be a part of his Green Door Cabaret series a while ago. He actually asked me if I wanted to do Schöne Müllerin first. I wanted to do something more outside my usual milieu. Always loved Billy’s voice, ever since going to Jazz Camp with Ranee Lee as a teen. Him, Joe Williams, Jimmy Rushing, Eddie Jefferson – a whole other world that isn’t Sinatra, Martin, Como. Anyway I wanted to sing some of Billy’s hits, David Warrack was available to play around with me. I’m even trying to get my valve trombone chops back into gear to see if I can’t take a couple of solos à la Mr B. that’s about it. No high concept or anything. Just a chance to bear my secret musical heart for one evening.

I figure if Rufus Wainwright can play Opera composer for a while, I can play romantic jazz balladeer for one night.

For all the details, click here.

Here, as a teaser, is the Mister B himself, in a rare bit of film footage of “Lonesome Lover Blues.”

John Terauds