She is in town for four shows at Jardine's. The final two are tonight. Both are sold-out. Here's Bill Brownlee's review of her first set, Wednesday night.
Karrin Allyson sings in Portuguese improbably well for a person born in Great Bend, Kansas. The celebrated jazz artist enchanted a capacity audience in the first set of a two-night stand Wednesday at Jardine's.
Above: Karrin Allyson covers Billy Joel at the Blue Room in September.
Her rapturous readings of Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Estrada Branca" and "A Felcidade" were completely captivating. Those songs are contained on her outstanding release Imagina: The Songs of Brasil, but she's currently promoting a forthcoming album, her twelfth for the Concord label.
"It's called 'The Best of Karrin Allyson,' " she explained. "A lot of that best stuff originated in Kansas City."
Allyson, 45, first achieved national acclaim while living in Kansas City. She's now firmly established as one of the most accomplished vocalists in jazz. The previous night, for instance, she performed at a Jazz at Lincoln Center event in her current home of New York City.
While she's capable of scatting like Ella Fitzgerald, Allyson should not be mistaken for a staid traditionalist. An imaginative take on Joni Mitchell's "All I Want" showcased her ability to repurpose other styles to suit her sophisticated sensibility. Her consistently elegant veneer was only threatened during a gritty version of "Bye-Bye Country Boy." Allison's knowing rasp was alternately cruel and seductive. Her playful reading of "I Found the Turnaround" was also delightfully scandalous.
The set's sole lackluster moments came during a flat rendition of "All You Need To Say (Never Say Yes)." Even then, however, Allyson's pliable voice remained engaging. Allyson's singing now conveys a stronger sense of longing, a deeper ache, and a more alluring ebullience than at any point of her career.
It doesn't hurt that she surrounds herself with ringers. The evening's heartiest ovations were in response to guitarist Rod Fleeman's astonishingly articulate and fiery solos. His Django Reinhardt-inspired contribution to "I Ain't Got Nothin' But the Blues" was nothing short of spectacular. Bassist Gerald Spaits and drummer Todd Strait, also men with deep roots in Kansas City's jazz scene, performed with tasteful efficiency. Allyson is a fine pianist as well. Her playing was heard to greatest effect on a haunting interpretation of "Footprints."
Allyson's outing Wednesday revealed that she's an ambitious artist still striving to conquer new territories. Her rare talent is more than capable of translating well to any locale, be it New York, Rio de Janeiro or yes, Great Bend, Kansas.
| Bill Brownlee, Special to The Star
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