Kate McGarry - Show Me (2003)

Jazz has the occasional tendency to intimidate average music listeners with its complexity and exclusivity. It can be an inside joke that the masses aren't quite privy to. Then, once in a while, an artist comes along and lends an air of accessibility to the form. Cassandra Wilson, Diana Krall, and Branford Marsalis have all done just that with various projects. Kate McGarry follows this tradition with her independent release of Show Me. A blue-eyed New York jazz singer, McGarry has a crystal clear and delicate voice that she manages to use with a tenacity that any great instrumentalist would. On Show Me, McGarry attacks a slew of standards penned by the likes of Cole Porter; Frederick Loewe and Alan Jay Lerner; and Lew Brown and Ray Henderson. Though the songs have been rendered by many, McGarry inhabits each note and makes them her own. The sly sassiness of "Gypsy in My Soul" and the tender handling of "Moon and Sand" are beautiful examples of her interpretive gift. Producer Steven Santoro is credited with additional arrangements on the outstanding Brazilian piece "Oceano," which ends in a sea of gorgeous vocal improvisation, and the wondrously romantic title track. He also contributed the luxurious string parts that swell, swoop, and soar following McGarry's lead. The main backing musicians -- pianist Karen Hammack, bassist Scott Colley, guitarist Steve Cardenas, and drummer Kenny Wollesen -- provide an excellent foundation, each stepping out where appropriate without stepping on anyone else's toes. Show Me shows us a glimpse of the beauty that lies inside the world of jazz, a world most people may not often enter, and McGarry proves to be a fabulous guide. ~ Kelly McCartney