Medford singer/songwriter's upcoming show
combines her twin passions: cabaret and “critters”
February 15, 2007 – B. Iris Tanner, a Medford-based cabaret singer and songwriter who's been called "genuinely clever and deliciously quirky" by CDbabel.com reviewers, will premiere "Animal Instincts," a new cabaret show on March 30 as part of the annual "March is Cabaret Month" Celebration sponsored by the Boston Association of Cabaret Artists (BACA). Tanner, who is also a cat show judge for the Cat Fanciers' Association, the world's oldest and largest registry of purebred cats, is collaborating with pianist Doug Hammer (who is owned by a dog) on the show, which will be performed at 8:30 p.m. at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 56 Brattle Street, Cambridge. For information and tickets, contact the Center at 617-547-6789. Additional performances are being planned at other locations.
Since all the songs involve animals in some way, Tanner and Hammer refer to the show as their "critter cabaret." "Animals teach us, amuse us, drive us crazy and bring us to tears, which makes them wonderful vehicles for songwriters' messages," says Tanner. Songwriters represented in the show include Cole Porter, Stephen Schwartz, Steve Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens, Tom Lehrer, Michael Flanders and Donald Swann, and many others. Several of Tanner's original songs, as well as two songs by West Coast songwriter Babbie Green, will also be featured.
Sharing the bill on March 30th are the duo of Jay Uhler and Elsa Powel, both members of the Board of Directors of BACA. Their show, "Harmony of Life" uses music to reflect on and highlight the challenging and beautiful passages of their lives, from childhood to first love to the thirst for travel and the search for ways to make sense of the lack of harmony in today's world. They will perform at 7:30 and be accompanied by pianist Joe Della Penna.
Tanner has been a Medford resident since 1987. A member of ASCAP, she has been writing and performing her songs in the greater Boston area since 1998. "Most of my originals depict me poking fun at myself in one way or another," she says. However, her subject matter, both in originals and in songs by other writers, occasionally touches on the "dark side," so those considering bringing young children to the show should note that there is violent imagery in some of the songs.
Tanner has recorded two CDs of her original songs. The most recent, Magnum Opuss! features six guest singers from the Boston cabaret community. It was recorded at Hammer's Dreamworld Productions studio in Lynn and released in June 2005. Her other CD, Fresh-Cut Iris, captures a live performance from 2003. Both are available from www.cdbaby.com and will be on sale at the show. In addition, all songs from both CDs can be found on iTunes, MusicNet.com, MSNMusic, Rhapsody, and many other online music sources too numerous to mention here. For more information, see Iris's web site at www.b-iris.com.
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