Cooking in the backyard is great, but one holiday weekend in Birdland, Carol Fredette was cookin’ with a red-hot rhythm trio including pianist Andy Ezrin, bassist David Finck and drummer Adam Nussbaum.

Always inventive, Fredette displayed her vibrant tableau of Brazilian, rhythm, witty and emotional favorites. From a spirited samba opener, “Without Rhyme or Reason” to the sensuous “Vivo Sohando” to the outstanding phrasing of “I Was Born in Love with You,” her diversity is obvious. Physically and vocally expressive, her deliveries are intense, intimate and communicative. Her tonal range and variety are impressive, sometimes playful, as with the Portuguese quacking in “O Pato” (The Duck). “Can’t We Be Friends” took a sarcastic turn, supported by Finck’s bass. No wallowing, and no, they can’t be friends.

She saved her pain for “Last Night When We Were Young,” convincing and beautifully nuanced. It is one of those songs where Arlen’s complex melody feels predestined for Harburg’s rueful lyric.

With special guest, singer/songwriter Bob Dorough, Fredette took the chance for some hip show-off smarts in the quirky Frishberg/Dorough tune, “Never in a Single Day” and the youthful jubilance of “Devil May Care.”

Listening to Fredette’s infectious swing and sophisticated interpretations, that’s delicious on any holiday.

Elizabeth Ahlfors
Cabaret Scenes
May 29, 2009
www.cabaretscenes.org