Fringe review: Dean Friedman – Songs For Grownups (4/5)
Friedman is one of those singer-songwriters cast as a legend and if that implies longevity as well as a place in modern music folklore then certainly he is deserving of the label.
His output has always been a curious mix of love songs, jazzy upbeat melodies and humorous novelty ditties and he switches seamlessly from one to another, just as he swaps acoustic guitar for the electric piano and, for one tender song devoted to an ailing friend, the ukelele.
He also mixes up new and old, giving us old favourites such as Lydia, Ariel and Lucky Stars, and throwing in some tunes from his latest album, 12 Songs.
As many songwriters do, Friedman draws inspiration from personal experiences and odd stories and the album includes The Ducks of St Stephen’s Green, written about an unusual episode during the Easter Uprising in 1916.
His patter is entertaining and amusing and the songs instantly likeable. The audience for this, his last night of a European tour, clearly included a few fans who had been before and will no doubt be back again if he returns next year.
Dean Freidman – Songs for Grownups has concluded its run at Grassmarket 1
I got chatting with him last night – of course he didn’t recall me from the couple of times I’ve met him before – but very charming all the same!
It’s worth boning up on the lyrics of ‘Lucky Stars’ because the audience is required to play the girl’s part.