Artists

Karrin Allyson Lied Center for Performing Arts, Lincoln, Nebraska November 9, 2001 By Tom Ineck Karrin Allyson's voice, a supple and soaring instrument capable of a wonderful dynamic and emotional range, requires little enhancement. It leaps in spontaneous bop vocalise one minute and modulates to the tenderest whisper the next. But for her Nov. 9 debut at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in Lincoln, Allyson received the ideal treatment, as a string ensemble and a small jazz group alternately added new sparkle and splendor to her vocal gems. With special string arrangements written and conducted by Bill McGlaughlin, Allyson was in her element and the near-capacity audience showed its appreciation. The Berman Music Foundation funded the concert. As though physically straddling the two musical styles high-brow classical and middle-brow jazz Allyson had cleverly donned a pseudo-formal faux tuxedo with matching miniskirt and jacket and black spike-heeled boots. The grand illusion was complete without being pretentious. Opening with the eminently compatible combo of Kansas City favorites pianist Paul Smith, guitarist Rod Fleeman, bassist Bob Bowman and drummer Todd Strait, Allyson loosened her vocal chords on the lyrically challenging uptempo waltz "Show Me," featuring virtuosic solos by Smith and Fleeman. Bowman's prodigious chops were put to the test on "My Little Boat," with Smith and Fleeman also trading licks. Turning to her latest, most critically acclaimed and best-selling CD, the tribute to John Coltrane's Ballads, Allyson sang the heart-wrenching "What's New," beginning with a lush string introduction and Bowman's powerful bowed bass and also featuring a sensitive piano solo. Also from the Ballads CD, "All or Nothing at All" had the combo demonstrating its ability to swing at mid-tempo. Rod Fleeman, who has developed a very distinctive sound playing only nylon-stringed guitars, took a deft and imaginative solo, followed by another tasteful solo statement from Smith. Allyson's musical sensitivity and pianistic prowess were evident in her brilliant rendition of Coltrane's "Naima." Rather than attempt a contrived lyrical treatment, she simply sang a wordless vocal line while playing the beautiful melody, which Coltrane wrote for his first wife. Fleeman's unison guitar line and Bowman's breathtaking bass solo made it one of the evening's highlights. For a change of pace, Allyson turned to Oscar Brown Jr.'s "Hum Drum Blues," a lesser-known standard that proved an excellent vehicle for the singer, a longtime blues fan who can turn a blue phrase with the best of them. She brought the tune to a stunning conclusion by deftly trading vocal phrases with Fleeman's guitar. The string ensemble returned for a gorgeous take on Giovanni Martini's "Plaisir D'Amour (Pleasures of Love)." Singing in French without piano accompaniment, Allyson caressed the romantic lyrics, while the strings and Bowman gave the piece a chamber music ambiance. In an unlikely, but well-executed segue, Allyson launched into Bud Powell's "Parisian Thoroughfare," a scat-singing vehicle with solos by Smith and Fleeman and a funny attempt by Allyson to elicit audience participation on an incredibly tricky melody line. The second set began with several tunes that have an exalted place in the Allyson repertoire, beginning with "O Pato (The Duck)," a Portuguese tune that is a good example of her multilingual vocal talents. Clifford Brown's bebop standard "Joy Spring" has been in the Allyson songbook for many years, and here it received an uptempo treatment with drum-vocal trades and a fiery drum solo by Strait. Allyson also gave an affectionate reading of another old favorite, Jay Leonhart's quirky, wistful "Robert Frost." Allyson's breezy, exhilarating scat-singing technique was showcased with "It Could Happen to You." Smith's block-chorded piano solo and Fleeman's solo were followed by a voice-guitar trade that reaffirmed how well these musicians work together. The singer returned to the piano for Billy Joel's "And So it Goes," accompanied by Lincoln cellist Tracy Sands. The duo blended beautifully, bringing out the full melancholy meaning of Joel's song. Saving the best for last, however, the entire string section rejoined Allyson for Ennio Morricone's sad, haunting theme from the film "Cinema Paradiso," with lyrics by Stan Dunn. Allyson sang and played the melody on piano, and Fleeman's guitar blended phrases with the classical strings for a stunning finale. But, so as not to leave the audience in tears, Allyson and the combo added a rousing, two-part coda consisting of "Stompin' at the Savoy" and "Some of My Best Friends Are the Blues." After that bit of musical therapy, the lingering mood was anything but tearful. Karrin and Butch after the show