Some singers sacrifice the lyrics’ rich depths to parade their wealth of rich, deep, high, powerful or pretty notes. Not Catherine Dupuis. Some have amazing phrasing worth praising but are bereft of vocal heft or reliable intonation. Not Catherine Dupuis. She has the skills and sense to treat melodies and words with equal care and consideration and creativity. Musically, she’s a ready-set-go pro, impressively but not cavalierly navigating jazz explorations of melodic variation. She finds new layers with cerebral and/or corn-shucked, cut-to-the-chase approaches. It’s a thoroughly thoughtful actor’s involved, focused, detailed, no-stone-unturned exploration. There was an excellent mix of private internalizing and direct communication to her up-close attentive, appreciative late-set Kitano audience.

With the stellar and simpatico Russ Kassoff Trio (Jay Anderson, bass; Dennis Mackrel, drums) as true collaborators, careful listening felt crucial and was rewarded. On pensive piano solo moments, melodies are treated with respect but inventiveness; no tune’s a cast-off with Kassoff, most recently from Broadway’s Come Fly Away. And away they flew, with dazzling dynamics yet drama-drenched in “So in Love” and A Star Is Born’s “Someone at Last,” sincere and endearing (her “Judy Garland moment” because “every girl wants to have one”). She also pounced on and playfully purred through “Year of the Tiger” by singer-songwriter Peri Lyons. With “That Lonesome Road” and others, one powerfully feels the sorrows, struggle and search for serenity that come on life’s precarious pathways regrets of roads not taken. But I never regret an hour with Miss Dupuis, live or on CD.

Rob Lester
Cabaret Scenes
October 6, 2010
www.cabaretscenes.org