Gray and Braggins

Press, 2 September 1986, Page 8

Gray and Braggins

Farewell Concert by Janice Gray and Liz Braggins at the Centre Gallery, Arts Centre, yesterday at 1.10 p.m. Reviewed by Allan Francis. “Farewell” concerts can often be misnomers: some artists have these every year, they mark the temporary departure to Australia or beyond, others are about to retire for one reason or another. It was with more than average interest, therefore, that audiences followed their curiosity to the Arts Centre yesterday for the “farewell” recital by the popular duo. In fact, there are several happenings here: Janice Gray is going into an unspecified term of retirement while her partner, Liz Braggins, intends to carry on with a locum tenens. It will be a new partnership on the same lines as before. The programme yesterday was simply a recap of the songbook that has given so much delight for the last 30 months — "Elmer’s Tune,” “April Showers,” I Hear Music,” “little Things,” and a£. Jotfn Densem original},, with tricky lines.

It was not jazz, nor even a pretence at anything beyond the mildest form of swing; more a popular programme sung and played in popular fashion. The husky-voiced Gray, suitably relaxed, tossed off a series of favourites, while her partner played a “nice” piano, at times striking, and occasionally joining in the vocals one octave up. The cabaret format attracted a different audience from the followings of last week, the pair having directly opposing singing styles yet in the end being uniquely compatible. What really sealed the success yesterday was the thoughtfully imaginative piano playing by Braggins, giving fine support to the vocals and especially characterful solos when alone. By far the most successful numbers were the medium-paced tunes, yet it was not hard to see the reasons for their immense popularity with modern ballads, where the phrasing and arrangements were attractively formed and well presented. “Diamonds are

Forever,” with its wry humour and off-beat piano lines, proved to be a rousing success for Gray, where the image of the extra deep-voiced member of the television trio of independent ladies in “Golden Girls” could hardly be suppressed. Even more popular was the request session, where the unaccompanied “Buy Me a Mercedes Benz” got top billing. On her own, Braggins reaffirmed her vocal ability with a quirky version of Gershwin’s “Man I Love” to her own florid accompaniment. Ballads were the subject of the wind-down to the afternoon, where Gray explored the full scope of her extensive range in “But Not For Me” and “As Time Goes By.”

It is hard to see this duo disappearing entirely from public entertainment in Christchurch with their particular brand of magic.

Nevertheless, there was more than a tinge of sadness in the final “Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone.” This marked the close of the session and, for now, the partnership.