‘Billy’s Place’ is the title of Billy Stritch’s weekly online show and I have watched a lot of it on Facebook. When the lockdown started, it was a great way to stream live music and brought me a lot of joy. ‘Billy’s Place’ is also the title of Stritch’s new album, and is culled from songs he sung from those shows. It is a wonderful, intimate recording, perfect for late night.

Accompanying himself on piano, Stritch sets. mood right away and doesn’t let go. I love his take on standards, like ‘Skylark,’ and ‘That Old Feeling/I Thought About You.’ But I like the songs that are newer to my ear: Peter Allen’s ‘Planes’ gives a melancholy feel to flying, ‘My Love Went to London’ puts a romantic spin to my favorite city. I think my most favorite is ‘Since You Left New York,; a Stritch original that makes me miss my beloved city.