The Bordeaux Soundtrack: Icons at Legacy Records

BY NEAL MARTIN | MAY 22, 2024

If Vinous reviewers decided to make a sudden career change, then I’m sure we would form a band.

The Vinous Underground?

Vinous Halen?

You choose.

Antonio would reach for his Stratocaster and request lead vocals; however, his operatic training risks impromptu bursts of Nessun Dorma, which is fine for Bohemian Rhapsody but not much else. I’ll give lead vocals to new recruit Billy Norris because, as far as I know, he’s the only one to have played Madison Square Garden. Eric Guido reliably informs me that he can tinkle the ivories. Therefore, he will be our ‘Rick Wakeman’ with church organ and ruby-studded cape. He’ll also be in charge of catering on tour. Rebecca Gibb is a Grade 8 cellist, so there’s your ELO strings. Female drummers are über-cool, and so Anne Krebiehl could get behind the drumkit for that metronomic Krautrock beat. Joaquin Hidalgo confessed he has nary a musical bone in his body, so he’ll be on cowbell and more cowbell. Angus Hughson is a fully qualified trombonist. However, we need an on-stage dancer to shake the maracas like Bez from Happy Mondays, so he’ll have to handle both. Nicolas Greinacher reliably informs me he had a few saxophone lessons, so there are your Sade-inspired sax solos for our ‘quiet storm’ ballads.

Me?

I’ll be the notorious Svengali laundering the money, the one that absconds halfway through the North American leg of the tour.  

Given Vinous’ impressive musical chops, it is apposite that the venue for the inaugural Icons of Bordeaux dinner was a building in Manhattan where legends such as Aretha Franklin recorded their classics. When the mics were switched off, the hospitality group behind Charlie Bird and Pasquale Jones converted the Hudson Yard premises into a capacious 85-seater restaurant. Walking there from my hotel, it was easy to spot the neon vinyl record signage outside the art deco-inspired building, and once through the revolving doors, I found the interior exquisitely furnished, a retro vibe simpatico with its musical legacy. An adjoining room houses hundreds of vinyl records from artists that recorded within its walls. It's probably good that I didn’t discover this until after the dinner. Otherwise, I would be rifling through every single one and forget that I’m supposed to compère a night of Bordeaux delights.