A precious few jazz singers have reached the success of Karrin Allyson and this show helped explain why.

Allyson is a definite portrait of contrasts as she is, at first glance, fragile and gamin.  It is not long before one realizes that this is a woman who runs her show like a tight ship with a band of extraordinary sailors—consisting of Rod Fleeman on guitar, Todd Strait on drums and Ed Howard on bass.

Coming on stage following the opening instrumentals, Allyson bounded out with a sharply rhythmic version of the oldie “Moon Ray.” This tune was just a hint of what was to come vocally as she just touched on her instrument lightly and musically.

One quarter way through the show, she took to the piano and stayed there playing, singing, and leading the band with a spellbinding version of “Double Rainbow”—a song of spring. The group actually painted a picture of the season, starting with a lilt and swelling to a profusion of a lush harmony of sounds, really arousing one’s senses to the arrival of new life as the winter is left behind.

Meticulously paced, she featured her skills in scat, vocalese, Latin and a couple of ballads.  Her ability to accompany herself on the piano added greatly to the show as she made sure that her voice was not overwhelmed by the instrument.

In a nod to the late Blossom Dearie, she graced us with a lovely “Good Bye Country Boy”—the lyric making me think of the “Cougar” craze of mature women sighing over a sweet, yet temporary, alliance with a younger man.

She closed out with a dazzling “What is This Thing Called Love”—quickly thanking the audience and eschewing the seemingly mandatory encore.  It was a move that was refreshing and satisfying.

Karrin continues at Birdand through May 2 at 8:30pm & 11pm.

Melody Breyer-Grell
Cabaret Scenes
April 29, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org