Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10
“A little bit of Babs, a whole lot of brass”, is how Liza Pulman cheekily described the evening, the sparkle in her eyes giving the game away from the very start and the polished brass of The Brighouse and Rastrick Band giving the evening the absolute beauty that an appreciation of Barbra Streisand deserved.
It was an evening in which the members of the band on stage and the audience were in unison, the incredible respect shown inside the Philharmonic Hall to the music was one of constant rapture and stillness, not a muscle moved, the smiles on the faces fixed and the eyes dreaming of how each song was perfectly captured by the enormous talent of Liza Pulman and the ensemble of musicians who recreated the sound that has wowed fans of the woman from New York since she first took her tentative steps on the road to stardom.
Liza Pulman’s awareness of Ms. Streisand’s work is comprehensive, positively indebted to the sheer majesty that the singer’s presence has held in the public’s mind for over half a century and one that Ms. Pulman herself has mastered with sincerity. The show is not a tribute, there is no use of wigs of affected persona, such things often not having the gravitas in which they are intended. Instead, this is purely about a voice and a resonating beauty that has framed songs such as Don’t Rain On My Parade, an upbeat version of You’ve Got A Friend, a stunning take on Billy Joel’s New York State of Mind, You Don’t Bring Me Flowers, Happy Days Are Here Again, Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf, The Way He Makes Me Feel and I’ll Be Home, show tunes and classic songs that made Barbra Streisand one of the undisputed queens of the music world in the 20th Century.
The flow of the music never faltered, the devilish glint of humour in Ms. Pulman’s eyes never wavered and the regular players and The Brighouse and Rastrick Band mixed freely and comfortably as Fascinating Aida’s Ms. Pulman told stories and sang Streisand with authority and love. A depth of pleasure and admiration to the woman from Brooklyn who has thrilled audiences across six decades and from the woman on stage at the Philharmonic Hall who gave an expert and pinpoint rendition of the songs that made her famous.
A beautiful evening of music, one in which Liza Pulman should be congratulated wholly and without hesitation.
Ian D. Hall