Katey Sagal is a singer — not simply an actress who sings but a genuinely gifted singer. Her specialty appears to be rhythm and blues, which she performed extremely well in her thirteen-song set. Seven of the songs were originals, written by Sagal and a host of collaborators, and they were very personal — “about things I needed to hear at the time,” she told the audience.  “Writing is how I process things.”

Her deep connection with the songs was clear from her vocal delivery and body language, which indicated she was really feeling each number. One of her best was “Can’t Hurry the Harvest,” a song about patience and delayed gratification written by Sagal, Bob Thiele Jr., (her musical director) and Phil Roy, which she said was written in the early 1990s.  Her vocal was powerful and effective, as it was on every song — with strong backup vocals by Billy Valentine.

Sagal’s four-piece band also added strong musical support and effective harmonies throughout the set, including Dillon O’Brien (keyboard), Debra Dobkin (drums), Taras Prodaniuk (bass), and Thiele (guitar), and Sagal demonstrated good rapport with them throughout her show.  Clifford Bell was producer and director.

Another strong performance on a self-penned song was “September Rain” (also written with Thiele and Roy) — which expressed her belief that everything happens for the best, though what’s right often seems wrong — which she sang in a clear, declarative style, with a strong guitar solo by Thiele.

The show also incorporated songs by other writers, including a very strong version of “You’re Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go,” by Bob Dylan, for whom Sagal sang backup for two months early in her career, she said.  The song, as she performed it, was a gentle ballad whose impact was boosted by the excellent musical and vocal support of her band.

Sagal also captivated on Stevie Wonder’s “Heaven Is 10 Zillion Light Years Away” and on a too-brief version of “Smile” (Charlie Chaplin, John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons).

Elliot Zwiebach
Cabaret Scenes
August 1, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org