Ginny Mentel (aka RC)
Ginny has been in show business her whole life, working with many eminent people such as Norman Lear and Steven Spielberg. She can sing anything from Bessie Smith to the American Songbook to Carole King. Of course, she prefers to sing songs by her husband, Jim.
Jim Mentel (aka Noir)
Jim has played with artists from Muddy Water’s guitarist Luther Johnson to country and rockabilly legend Sleepy LaBeef, as well as performing solo jazz gigs at places like the Jonathon Club. He has written songs and music for many artists as well as television shows.
Here’s a recent review of RC & Noir’s performance by Terry Cole
“RC and Noir” at the Gardenia, 2/16/25
Last night at the Gardenia, we were treated to a delightful evening with Ginny and Jim Mentel, a husband and wife musical duo, who refer to themselves as “RC & Noir” (these are film references: Ginny’s favorite genre being Romantic Comedy and Jim’s, “Film Noir). That aside, their artistry and cool, assured manner made them a natural fit for the Gardenia.
Ginny’s voice and dynamic stage presence were striking. She and her band: husband, Jim Mentel on piano and backing vocals, Nick Scarmack on drums, and Larry Muradian on bass) collectively owned the room, with a relaxed, but assured stage presence.
We were treated to several songs penned by Jim, himself, which were a particular standout, and suited Ginny’s voice to a “T”. It is hard to express in words what a pleasure it was to spend an evening with this remarkable band and I feel sorry for those who missed it. Good news, though: I understand that they plan to return to the Gardenia in May. Don’t miss it!
I can’t wait!
A Second Musical Act
The recent pandemic was a disaster in so many ways, but for South Pasadena’s Jim and Ginny Mentel it was also a prompt to start that most coveted of things, a “second act”. Jim had been a musician before he left music for education and writing. He’d returned to it later in his career, writing songs for public TV shows and others. He knew his wife Ginny had a good voice, but it had never occurred to him that they might pursue their shared love of music together.
Faced with the endless lockdown, Jim invited Ginny out to his small recording studio to see what they might do together. It took a lot of hard practice, but they began to click together over the songs of the Great American Songbook and Jim’s originals. They recorded a CD that they put online, gave themselves a name (RC&NOIR, which refers to their movie preferences--romantic comedy and noir films), put up a website (rcnoir.com), and then tried to figure out what to do next.
Ginny had spent her career working with some of the most famous people in Hollywood, but she had never sung in front of anyone but a few close friends. The couple discovered that senior living facilities had a need for entertainment, so they hit the “senior road”. It was a perfect training ground and an immediate success—Ginny was a natural and the people they played for loved them. Now, three years later, the couple is playing all over town and discovering new audiences in clubs and at wine bars, listeners who share their love of Gershwin, old blues and originals.