Karen Mason celebrated her latest CD on Zevely Records, Right Here, Right Now, for one night only at Birdland, and the audience was delighted celebrating with her. In her sly witty opener, "Taking A Chance on Love" (Duke/Latouche/Fetter), she promised, "I'm gonna give my all again," and she did, backed by Bob Renino on bass, Rex Benincasa on drums and the talented musical director/pianist Christopher Denny.

Mason's songbook is vast. A brilliant story-singer, she wraps herself in character and then watch out! This singer/actress is at her peak. She mixes old with new for each show, drawing them together in an arc centered on songs that speak to her. With a versatile and rangy voice, Mason has blossomed in her interpretations, on the mark with sophisticated phrasing that delivers compelling drama in each song, delving into nuances and illuminating them. She is a riveting mixture of intensity and intimacy, believing in her songs, like Styne and Merrill's "People," for example, communicated with a unique unaffected candor.

Singing the title song, "Right Here, Right Now," by husband, Paul Rolnick and Jim Papoulis, Mason went for its essence and let the passion galvanize from there. Rolnick is recognized for writing songs of unmannered sincerity and love, a hand-in-glove fit for Mason. One highpoint in this show included “We Never Ran Out of Love, We Just Ran Out of Time,” a song she has performed for years. If the intimate candor of these songs evoked a few tears, and they did, Mason played with the humor in other selections. Her phrasing of the Betty Hutton hit, "Murder, He Said," (Loesser/McHugh) built up its storyline as well as its playfulness. She had fun with Leo Robin and Jule Styne's "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend." Letting go of the usual coyness, Mason instead delivered it with a soft twist beat and good-natured, take-it-or-leave-it advice from one chum to another.

Perhaps most thrilling was to hear and watch Mason work the song up to the vibrant denouement, but she also engaged her audience with the tender Jerome Kern ballad, "Look For the Silver Lining," (lyrics by Buddy daSilva), no vocal dynamics, just musical magic. Whether igniting the stage or whispering an introspective ballad, she never fails to deliver her own brand of honesty and charisma. She was aided in the imaginative arrangements of Barry Kleinbort, Paul Rolnick, and Christopher Denny.

Elizabeth Ahlfors
Cabaret Scenes
August 4, 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org