WPCNR WHITE PLAINS AFTER DARK. By John Bailey. February 28, 2008: Ci Ci (Lael) Calloway, daughter of the jazz legend, Cab Calloway, performed an informal runthrough of a benefit show she will be performing in April at the North End Restaurant Thursday evening in prepartion for a gala benefit she will be staging there in April  to raise funds for the renovation and restoration  of her father's home on Knollwood Road in Westchester.

Heidi-Heidi-Ho...once more. Cab Calloway's daughter, Lael "Ci Ci" Calloway reprised her father's old standards in a runthrough of a benefit for restoration of her father's former home in Westchester.  She performed in the intimate North End Restaurant Thursday evening and intrigued hipsters with her father's unique riffs that just get you moving.

.

Ms.Calloway with a commanding voice and warmth towards the audience, performed her renditions of her father's famous standards, "Tain't Necessarily So," and of course, "Heidi-Ho"  and others accompanied by video of her father performing in the past. The benefit  show featuring Ms. Calloway now in runthroughs, will be hosted by The North End on North Broadway in White Plains in April in an effort to turn the Calloway residence where she grew up into a museum. Ms. Calloway recalled for the audience the many famous names in music whom she met growing up as a child there, including Lena Horne and Duke Ellington.

PARTNERS:  Serena Russell, left, and Barbara Cantatore, owners of the North End with Ms. Calloway inbetween sets. Ms. Russell said the idea for the benefit came up in casual conversation with Ms. Calloway on a visit to the restaurant.

Serena Russell, partner in The North End, said the idea for the Calloway House Restoration Project"  benefit occurred when Ms. Calloway had dinner at the North End and struck up a conversation with Ms. Russell. Ms. Russell said she was very excited and behind the project of establishing the Knollwood Road residence place in America's musical history.

Calloway's voice filled up the room with its power, range and command, and brought back the toe-tapping "scat" style her father made famous. White Plains residents will be able to hear that never-to-be-forgotten style at her complete show in April in the uniquely intimate North End restaurant. For details on the benefit, contact the North End at 914-993-9333.

Ms. Calloway showed off her range in her breathy contralto.

Brenda Starr, left, and Serena Russell digging the scene.

Your peripathetic pavement pounding reporter notes that the North End bar could become a habit. The sea food fancier should try the oysters at the bar. They were terrific, big and juicy, plump, white, glistening. They were served arranged on their shells  which surrounded around a  festive red zesty, tasty, mouthwatering sliced red pepper dressing in the middle the oyster platter.

The sliced red pepper slaw taste intermezzo between  mouthfuls of oyster,  set the stage for each smooth luscious sliver of the monster oysters  to slide right down your throat. The unique idea of the red pepper slaw showcased the subtle sensuality of the oysters. The oysters from the North End Kitchen were detached but laying in the shell, too (how oysters should be served), so the go-down-easies  could be smoothly slid into the mouth without loss of any part of them. The reporter lost his objectivity and devoured most of the slaw when this shot was taken. Forgive me.

Ms. Calloway's performance showed the North End could become a place to get into some good sophisticated jazz on a regular basis combined with, if the oysters are any indication -- a place that unlike any music place I  have been in -- serves great gourmet food. The North End's chef is formerly the chef at the leading independent seafood restaurant in Philadelphia, The Striped Bass.

David Kurdys, the restaurant General Manager said  top chefs from New York and other cities are coming to White Plains because it was becoming much harder for chefs to own their own places in Manhattan because the real estate is so expensive. He said the chef wanting to make a name for himself has to get into a chain, working with corporate management. Once that name is made, he said, they like the idea of coming up to Westchester to have their own place. He said the food product comes from the Hudson Valley so it made sense for them to come on up here, and establish their own niche. 

He predicted the county would be seeing more name chefs coming up to Westchester in the future.