Three jazz birds flew into the Metropolitan Room for one night only, ringing their holiday bells. Chicago's Spider Saloff opened the night, accompanied by Tony Monte's stylish and skillful piano talents. Not at all as creepy-crawly as her name, Spider invited the crowd to Cole Porter's "Let's Misbehave," her voice full and confident, her attitude slyly teetering on the rim of naughtiness. Spider brings crisp jazz phrasing and a personal slant to whatever she sings.

"Boogie Woogie Santa Claus" (Leon Rene) rocked, jumped, and jived with Monte's strong chords and Spider scatting and boogying all the blues away.

Spider pointed out that George Gershwin only wrote one song about a beverage, "Vodka," and Michael Feinstein commented that Spider Saloff owns that song. Of course, she ended her set with "Vodka," straight, no chaser, no ice. She worked the stage, over and around the piano, building the song as she played at draining the bottle. Monte's piano supported the boozy buildup to its riotous ending. A fun start to the jazzy evening.

Laurie Krauz, with Daryl Kojak on piano, is a fabulous force to be reckoned with. Kojak's intense piano backs Krauz' lavish voice that stretches from the depths to the heights as she interprets lyrics with intelligence and passion. She delivered "Angel Eyes" (Matt Dennis) with a bitter edge, scatting, belting, and then fading out with, "'scuse me while I disappear." Krauz is fun to watch on stage, earthy and bright, hot and way cool.

She presented Daryl Kojak's "Ducksoup," with a mix of scat and muted jazz trumpet. As a holiday offering, she sang a kinda bluesy/kinda blue, "Santa Claus is Coming to Town"—a whole new slant to this holiday favorite.

Luba Mason was this trio's newest entry to the jazz world. She was accompanied by Ed Alstrom. Mason recently recorded a CD of her original Brazilian jazz songs, and from that album she delivered a tropically slow and simmering, "A Summer Night." She sang a swingy, sexy "Moondance" (Van Morrison), moving with a dancer's grace. Her own "Gorgeous Fool" was not really in the jazz mold, but it is a humorous song and maybe it can be applied to those boys from Ipanema.

"All That Jazz" (from Chicago by Kander and Ebb), best showcased Luba Mason's talents. Her hand/shoulder movements were sharply Fosse, and she belted the hell out of the song. It was a good number, and a strong closer for the jazz divas of December.

Elizabeth Ahlfors
Cabaret Scenes
December 1, 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org