Saloon singers keep the music alive
Saloon singers are a special breed.
In the old days, they worked in noisy, smoke-filled rooms … until late at night … and usually for little pay.
Today, thankfully, the rooms are no longer filled with smoke. But not much else has changed.
The greatest of all saloon singers was Frank Sinatra. That’s what he called himself. He had the ability to command a room like nobody else. He sang of love – and often, lost love. He told the stories of our lives. He alternated between presenting harsh realities and providing winsome escape.
I know a bit about “saloon singing” – having done my share in recent years. Tomorrow night I will join renowned jazz saxophonist Frankie Ewing at Peppers Italian Restaurant in King of Prussia -- in an effort to present a tribute to Sinatra, on the event of his 102nd birthday.
But, in doing so, thoughts will drift to those saloon singers who have battled the noise of the crowds … and disturbances from an occasional drunk … for much longer and on a more consistent basis. They are a special breed of dedicated musician.
Two in particular, who I have enjoyed over the years, are Steve Ritrovato and Elizabeth Knecht. They appear in a number of locations but can always be found in the same spot – on the same nights – Steve at Ralph’s of South Philly in King of Prussia every Friday and Elizabeth aside the piano of Pasquale DeOrio every Saturday at La Collina in Belmont Hills.
Ritrovato is a veteran of the Philadelphia music scene. He has been part of the famed City Rhythm Orchestra for more than 20 years. But he is best known for his one-man Frank Sinatra shows. He sings nothing but Sinatra’s classics. He sounds very much like him. He even looks a bit like him.
Keeping the Great American Songbook alive in venues such as Ralph’s in King of Prussia is a passion for Ritrovato. Watching him perform, it becomes obvious that he often slips away into his own little world – far away from the clanking dishes, incessant chatter and scurrying servers.
“Performing solo like that is quite different,” explains Ritrovato. “You have to realize that everything you do is on you. It really challenges you to up your game.”
Along with that solo challenge is the additional task of handling the atmosphere.
“The people in a restaurant are just part of the landscape,” says Ritrovato. “It’s no different than working with a band outside and a helicopter flies over top. Or a fire engine goes screaming down the street in the middle of singing a ballad. It takes a lot of concentration and you have to keep going.
“I really get absorbed sometimes into what I’m doing. It’s almost as if I’m in a cloud. The people don’t reappear until the song is over.”
At the eastern edge of Montgomery County, La Collina has established a reputation as one of the classiest Italian restaurants in the region. The power brokers of the Main Line have made it their hangout for years.
In the equally classy cocktail lounge area of the restaurant, Knecht has been performing for nine years. Her songs range between popular hits, show tunes, a few Italian songs and a heaping portion of the classics from Sinatra, as well as Tony Bennett, Bobby Darin, Dean Martin, etc.
“I started when they banned cigarettes in bars,” she explains. “That made a big difference for me.”
Knecht was used to performing in a very different venue. She grew up in Bethlehem and came to Philadelphia to be a ballerina. She studied at the famed Joffrey Ballet School, then began dancing in the area.
“I didn’t know I had a voice until I was 26,” she admits. “Then someone heard something in my voice and encouraged me to pursue a career as a vocalist.” Eventually she went to Italy to study opera, but there was another side of her musical spirit that was calling to her.
“I started performing in a jazz trio but I was really fond of big band music as a kid,” she explains. “I think I am really an old soul. I should have been born in the 30s.”
There is no mistaking her passion for the Great American Songbook when singing at La Collina. Her Saturday night gig with Pasquale is a 7 to 11 ritual. Diners catch the early portion of the evening “but my favorite time is after 9,” she admits. “That’s when the bar turns into more of a cabaret. The people just hang out and really pay attention to the music.”
Two people – Ritravato and Knecht – addicted to their music. Saloon singers at heart.
“In that type of venue, you’re not just singing the words,” says Ritrovato. “You are creating the reality of life and conveying the feeling.”
Knecht shares a similar philosophy. “It’s a combination of the music, the restaurant and the people who come on a regular basis,” she concludes. “I feel like it’s family there.”
There’s nothing left to say … except to raise a glass in toast to Sinatra’s 102nd birthday, and the long lineage of saloon singers.
“It’s a quarter to three. There’s no on one in the place, except you and me …”