Tapestry Unraveled

I've always liked it when a singer takes an album that another artist has done and performs it in its entirety. Michelle Johnson did a beautiful job with this for her show Tapestry Unraveled, on November 18 at Myron's Cabaret Jazz. During this show she performed her interpretation of Carole King's album, Tapestry.

Michelle weaved in stories of her life and her experiences in combination with the songs from Tapestry that she said touched her so much as a young person. For her first song of the night, So Far Away, she talked about how she was born in New York, but she and her family moved to Egypt when she was a toddler and so she grew up far away from her home country. Then she sang the song beautifully with the undertones of longing that make this song so meaningful. 

Her first Carole King album Michelle said was called Music. It's what got her into Carole King before Tapestry. 

Michelle Johnson, Photo by Ira Kuzma

Michelle talked about her young adulthood returning from Egypt and going to college at Yale. She shared with us the struggles of pursuing her music career while also trying to provide for herself. Like many young people with a dream of the arts her parents encouraged her to have a back up plan and not to focus too much on her music career. She found out why years later.

Then she sang one of the best versions of a song by Carole King I've ever heard. Michelle's version of It's Too Late was like a show in itself!

Michelle told us about starting a new chapter several years ago when she moved to Las Vegas. She got a role in "Country Fever" at the Golden Nugget, and stayed and made Vegas her home. She talked about meeting a man who became a friend and another man who became her husband. There is more to that story but it is more meaningful than a sentence in an article so I'll leave it alone. Her soulful rendition of Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, followed.

"To me, everyone's life is a tapestry." - Michelle Johnson

She talked about real friendships and not just social media friends and that many of us have come to lean on technology a little too much in our relationships. As a reminder of the importance of real friendships she then sang, along with her back up singers, a dynamic group version of You've Got a Friend, joined by vocalist Dani Corley who appeared onstage briefly to sing a few lines. 

Dani, Jolana, Michelle, Gret and Jon, Photo by Ira Kuzma

For one of the songs, Beautiful, she asked the ladies in the audience stand and sing along, which was a hit with the crowd. I noticed that some of them stayed standing for the rest of the show, moving to the music, at least up in the second level high top tables where I was seated.

Michelle spoke briefly about meeting and working with singer/songwriter Louise Goffin, (Carole King and Gerry Goffin's daughter), and how they recently held a joint class for songwriters in Las Vegas.

After completing her salute to Tapestry Michelle finished the night with her original song I'm All In, about putting all of your heart and soul into something, as she does with her music. 

I've written about three of her shows in the past year or so and one thing is always true. Michelle Johnson is more than a singer.  She is a songwriter, composer and producer that puts out a variety of entertainment with talent and passion that touches me, and her audience every time I see her. This is why her shows routinely sell out.

Musical Director Jeffrey Neiman. Back up singers, Jolana Sampson-Adamson, Gret Menzies Gonzalez, Jon Celentano. Musicians, Walter Jones, Pablo Gadda and Don Meoli.