Jess Stoddard reviews Liza Pulman live in Liverpool

Live in an incredible and one of the most beautiful concert halls I’ve sat in, the vivacious Liza Pulman produces an entertaining, comical and reminiscent concert featuring the songs of Barbra Streisand.

Striding onto the stage to open with a jazzy remix of ‘Don’t Rain On My Parade‘ and an upbeat version of Carole King’s timeless ‘You’ve Got a Friend’. Showcasing a wonderful six-piece live band (ironically named “The Stardust Ensemble”), Pulman doesn’t steal all of the spotlight and graciously allows the musicians the applause and appreciation they deserve.

The stars of the show really had to be the Brighouse and Rastrick Band, National Brass Band Championship Winners. The full sound they produce as they support the Stardust Ensemble and Liza is sublime and sent shivers down my spine.

Liza outright says at the beginning of the show that this is not a show telling the life story of Streisand or a tribute act – when I interviewed Liza earlier this year, she said she takes the songs and adds a Liza touch to them, making them her own. This was clearly apparent, and with musical director Joseph Atkins creating some incredible arrangements of the songs and in true Barbra style, flipping them on their heads to create something new and beautiful.

Liza outright says at the beginning of the show that this is not a show telling the life story of Streisand or a tribute act – when I interviewed Liza earlier this year, she said she takes the songs and adds a Liza touch to them, making them her own. This was clearly apparent, and with musical director Joseph Atkins creating some incredible arrangements of the songs and in true Barbra style, flipping them on their heads to create something new and beautiful.

Pulman isn’t just a talented singer, but has such a first-rate stage presence, excelling in the talking bits between the songs, entertaining the audience with well-researched information about Babs, but also telling personal anecdotes of how she came into the world of performing.

A particular favorite of mine was Streisand’s Oscar-winning ‘Evergreen’ and Billy Joel’s moving and sophisticated ‘New York State Of Mind‘.

Seamlessly moving from ballad to jazzy uptempo, Pulman displays her operatic range and vocal control and shows her tremendous ability as singer and performer!

Bringing the audience to their feet was a superb version of ‘Happy Days Are Here Again’, Pulman proves to the whole audience how incredible and diverse Bab’s career was, but also that Liza is one to watch!

The encore was the moving and gorgeous ‘People, (People Who Need People)‘

This is a concert you need to see!

Click here for more about Liza Pulman

Read more about Jess Stoddard blogger and reviewer here. 

Published: 3-May-2018 (4862)