Nadine Shanti presents "A Tribute to Burt Bacharach" with the Everett Symphony

When Burt Bacharach and Hal David linked up with Dionne Warwick, a distinctive sound was born: the sound of '60s pop.

The trio made hits of "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?," "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" and "Walk on By," among dozens of other songs. David's lyrics had rich storytelling, set to Bacharach's music.

"They have a dark edge to them, and that was a connecting point between these two men," said Nadine Shanti. "You get these songs about heartache and heartbreak, and they're kind of jaunty and bouncy."

Nadine Shanti presents "A Tribute to Burt Bacharach" at 8 p.m. Friday at the Everett Civic Auditorium. Paul-Elliott Cobbs will conduct the Everett Symphony in the pops concert. Shanti has arranged and will sing eight Bacharach numbers, what she calls "perfect little nuggets of harmony, melody and lyrics."

Shanti starts the show with "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?"

That's followed by "Heavenly," a simplified version of "The Look of Love," and "Always Something There to Remind Me," in the first half. The second half features "Walk on By," "Alfie," "I Say a Little Prayer for You" and "What the World Needs Now," which becomes an audience singalong.

"I'm trying to show different aspects of Bacharach," says Shanti. "He's an intriguing person to look at in the world of pop music. The person who bridged the gap between the big-band era and where we are today is Burt Bacharach."

Bacharach, a six-time Grammy-winner, 79, has moved easily between jazz and pop over his 50-year career, working with everyone from Perry Como and Marlene Dietrich (he was her musical director on tour) to The Drifters, The Shirelles and Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66. Bacharach won two Oscars for "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head," the theme song for "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." He wrote the title song for the film "Alfie" and "The Look of Love" for the first film version of "Casino Royale."

Now artists such as Elvis Costello, Rod Stewart, even Oasis, have discovered Bacharach. They alter tempo and arrangements to fit a new listening public, turning them into hip-hop and rock tunes, "and they work just fine," Shanti said.

Bacharach was eclectic as a young man, studying composition with the French composer Darius Milhaud, but also absorbing everything from show tunes to bebop and jazz.

"Right now, he's doing a lot of collaborations with younger artists," says Shanti. "A lot of young people are rediscovering this music and going 'oooh, cool tune.' "

Diane Wright: 425-745-7815 or dwright@seattletimes.com