Veronica Klaus cuts a stately figure in her black noir gown, white elbow-length gloves, platinum blonde coiffure and ‘40’s chapeau. She’s all about the image she presents, drawing out the emotion of each song she chooses, in constructing a seamless show. Backed capably by the Tammy Hall Trio (Daniel Fabricant on bass and Kent Bryson on percussion, Hall on keys), Klaus has a great sense of what material and which arrangement will transform a song into a mood-evoking vignette. Guest trumpeter Mike Olmos adds a bluesy saloon feel to the show that enhances Klaus’s sultry appeal.

Opening the show with Leo Robin and Ralph Rainger’s “Bluebirds in the Moonlight” from the Paramount cartoon Gulliver’s Travels, Klaus sets a tone that harkens back to the torch song singers of bygone eras. Her songs speak of lovers—those seeking love, those belabored by it and those burned by it. “Somebody Touched Me” is naughty in its insinuations. “Old Devil Moon” and “You’re My Thrill” are smoky, jazz-filled nuggets. “Something Real,” a tribute to the late Phoebe Snow, and the broken heart song “Superstar,” show Klaus can work a modern pop tune just as easily as she tosses off 1933’s bawdy, “Eadie Was a Lady.”  A set highlight is the Bob Dorough/Fran Landesman song “Small Day Tomorrow.” The hip, smart lyrics are effortlessly handled by Klaus’s confident knowledge of her material. Her voice has a longing and husky confidence that continues to grow and mature. Her interpretations and stylings are powerful and playful.  It’s always a pleasure to relax and bask in Veronica Klaus’s glow.

Steve Murray
Cabaret Scenes
November 21, 2011
www.cabaretscenes.org