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Night at the Savoy Brings the Jazz Back to Toledo

By Brittany Jones
Sojourner Truth Reporter

Saturday night, July 31, was a trip back in time to the Roaring 20s. A time where women were deemed “flappers,” with short dresses and costume jewelry and men in their tailored, slim-fitting suits.

That era was also the origin of the Harlem Renaissance, which was known as the “New Negro Movement.” And on the other hand, it marked the rise of the “Jazz Age.”

Jazz was in the air that night. Jazz was back – in Toledo – and it was all thanks to the performances at “A Night at the Savoy,” a night dedicated to the legendary ballroom in Harlem.

Lesli Lane

In the Belvedere Room of the Toledo Club, three of the city’s finest jazz singers entertained lovers of the music genre. Presented by the Neighborhood Health Association (NHA), CRSmith Productions and The Sojourner’s Truth, the singers – Sheila Fleming, Lesli Lane and Dorothy Gray – transported the audience age when jazz was golden.

Opening the night were welcomes and comments from Doni Miller, CEO of the NHA and Clarence Smith, Jr., CEO and producer of CRSmith Productions.

Serving as the Mistress of Ceremonies, Ramona Collins, a “treasure and best-kept secret” of the region’s jazz scene, kept the night going through engaging and witty commentary. She added to the jazz mood and reminded attendees to keep jazz alive in Toledo.

“Jazz takes a beating because people want to boogie and dance,” Collins said. “As long as there are singers who want to keep the spirit alive, we got something everyone can feel.”

With the Eric Dickey Quartet as the band, the lineup of performances began with Dorothy Gray. Although she is not a native of Toledo (born in Margret, Alabama), her singing training and exposure to music began at Scott High school.

What Gray bought that night were familiar tunes such as “Fever” by John Davenport and Eddie Cooley as well as “They Can’t Take That Away From Me” by George and Ira Gershwin. Along with two other pieces, she produced a mysterious and rhythmic vibe to the room.

Clarence Smith and Doni Miller

At an early age, singing for Sheila Fleming came natural because she had no formal training. Born in Chicago in the early 1950s, she got her knack for jazz by listening to Dinah Washington and Nat King Cole. In the early 1990s, she relocated to Toledo and made her mark, performing with many top jazz performers and singing at Murphy’s Place downtown.

Her musical selections bought the sassy, energetic and engaging ambiance that jazz can generate. Her songs talked of finding a love so real that one cannot live without that person around them (“Night and Day” by Cole Porter, “On Green Dolphin Street” by Bronislaw Kaper and Ned Washington and “What a Difference a Day Made” by Stanley Adams and Maria Mendez Grever).

Fleming also ventured into the hurting side of love when a significant one leaves (“Stormy Monday” by T. Bone Walker and Memphis Slim).

After a brief intermission, it was time for Lesli Lane to take the stage. A graduate of Scott High School, the singer and actress unveiled her talents at the age of 18 at Rusty’s Jazz Café. As a result of her love of entertaining, she has traveled the world (Japan, Europe and Asia) and performed with revered jazz performers such as Eddie Abrams and Clifford Murphy.

A haunting love and a love that takes much out of a person was what Lane expressed through her selections, such as “‘Round Midnight’” by Thelonious Monk and “Don’t Get Round Much Anymore” by Duke Ellington and Bob Russell. Although her microphone cord was not long enough to walk through the audience, it did not stop her from having the attendees participate.

Despite the topics of the songs, Lane’s deep and mellow feel gave a tranquil atmosphere mixed with the distinguishing practice of scatting.

Dorothy Gray

Collins got in on the action when she performed some songs from her two independent CDs, “Everything Old is New Again (1997)” and “Live and Loving It,” which will be released this Fall.

After a finale of George Gershwin’s “Summertime” and last acknowledgements and remarks the night was came to an end with melodies from the Eric Dickey Quartet.

The Quartet members are comprised of Eric Dickey (bandleader and pianist), Kevin Eikum (bassist), Damon Cook (drummer) and Mark Lemle (woodwinds, saxes, flute, et al).

Jazz was in the air that night. Jazz was back in Toledo.