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Karrin Allyson Karrin Allyson has been tearing up the Billboard traditional jazz charts as well as the Emusic service's downloaded albums list with her latest CD Ballads: Remembering John Coltrane. Newcomers to the Allyson fan club may be surprised to learn that she has recorded extensively (6 albums previous to this one) and has a command of not only ballads,but also bop, bossa, samba, and French chansons. The singer's exceptional stylistic range and easy manner with an audience were amply displayed in her recent performances at Chicago's legendary Green Mill. First, a quick note about the room. Any jazz fans anticipating a stop in Chicago absolutely must make a pilgrimage to this North side club regardless of who is appearing, if only to say they were at the hot nightspot frequented by Al Capone back in the day. Though the club is small, it is the very definition of what a jazz club ought to be. Upon entering, patrons walk the length of the long, long bar to get to the back club area, a cozy setting with a small number of tables set in front of an incredibly small bandstand (it's impossible to imagine a group larger than a quintet appearing here). Green velvet booths line the walls, generally shared by groups of two couples. Even so, arrive too near showtime and you aren't likely to get a seat where you can see--you'll either have to stand or sit in the back of the club. If you do get there early enough to sit up front by the stage, you'll be well rewarded with an intimacy that is generally foreign to those who weren't around in the heyday of the jazz club (say the 1950s and 1960s). Listening to performers you could literally reach out and touch isn't anything like seeing them in a larger concert hall or a festival setting. The Green Mill is also to be commended for insisting that its patrons come to listen to the performers--no talking is allowed during the performances, no matter how many cocktails you've had. It's truly a place to hear great music in an intimate setting, and that's what the jazz club was always about. Allyson performed liberally from all segments of her repertoire, paying particular attention to the Coltrane numbers and to a variety of Brazilian numbers. The Ballads numbers, including "Say It (Over And Over Again)", "You Don't Know What Love Is", and "All Or Nothing At All" were packed with the same emotional intensity and musical perfection displayed on the recorded versions. Bossa numbers such as "O Pato (The Duck)" and "O Barquinho (My Little Boat)" were light but flecked with rhythmic drive as well as a relaxation, or lack of stiffness, that eludes many vocalists who try their hand at Jobim and his compatriots. Indeed, "O Pato" had Allyson cracking up as she worked her way through the song's "quack quack" refrain, and both her quartet and the audience were more than willing to laugh along with her. Though her 1999 recording From Paris to Rio contained performances of many of these Brazilian songs, she has done such material on virtually all of her recordings. “There’s an exoticism to the material. It takes them to another place”, she has been quoted as saying. “It’s not only the rhythms, though I think that’s the first thing that hits the listener.” Karrin doesn't merely front a group as the vocalist, it is clear both live and on her recordings that she sees herself as part of a group of musicians who listen to each other and work together to create an atmosphere and interpretation of a song. Her group at the Mill, a quartet, was definitely up to the challenge. Drummer Bob Rummage and bassist Bob Bowman kept things cooking along well, laying into the swing numbers while admirably coloring the ballad and Brazilian numbers. Guitarist Rod Fleeman was excellent, providing wonderful blues-inflected solos, his own sheets of sound on Coltrane's "Naima", and lots of comic relief in the form of humorous musical quotes during some of the French language numbers. Pianist Laura Caviani, who has taught at the University of Wisconsin--Stevens Point and holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Michigan--Ann Arbor, was the musical director and pianist. Caviani displayed a great deal of wit and some great chops as well, reeling off alternating blues and bop riffs with equal aplomb. Allyson accompanied herself on piano on several numbers, including her wordless interpretation of "Naima", a high point of the Ballads recording, and equally impressive here despite the lack of a saxophone. On the last number of her second set, a romp through Bonnie Raitt's "Give It Up Or Let Me Go", Allyson and Caviani played four-handed piano, with Caviani providing rollicking barrellhouse riffs in the upper register, while Karrin handled the bass registers. No matter where you are, if you have a chance to see this terrific performer, don't miss it. You can see her schedule and keep tabs on where she'll be here. And do check out Ballads as well, it's well worth it. <<Karrin's Got the Blues| Review of In Blue | Review of Ballads | --Marshall Bowden-- |
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