Broadway singer Luba Mason (starring roles on Broadway in Jekyll and Hyde, The Capeman, and How to Succeed...) has delivered a polished, technically superior CD with material chosen from her favorites songs; Van Morrison’s "Moondance," a Spanish-language version of "Look of Love", that positively reeks of sensuality, and a powerful "The Calm Before the Storm," Lou Reed and Rubén Blade’s anti-war statement that Luba first heard on 9/11. A delightful arrangement (in a duet with Rubén Blades) of Johnny Nash’s "I Can See Clearly Now" reinvents the song and makes it uniquely her own. She pays homage to her Broadway roots with "Don’t Shoot the Hooey to Me, Louie" from the musical Over Here! and introduces "Six Degrees of Azimuth," a number given her by composer Jim Keller. The song could get her some serious radioplay.

The musicianship is fantastic, utilizing classically trained friends from around the world. Her collaboration with Rubén Blades lends a jazzy latin-funk beat that widens Mason’s Broadway delivery. The production values of Jeffrey Lesser exhibit Mason at her very best. Her beautiful rendition of "Embroidered" (originally sung in Portuguese) is reminiscent of an early Barbra Streisand and shows off Mason’s clear-as-a-bell vocals and assured control. For a debut CD, the talented Mason has channeled all her potential and created a gem—smart, eclectic, and extremely listenable. Look forward to her sophomore effort.

Steve Murray
Cabaret Scenes
October 2007
www.cabaretscenes.org