By Marilyn Lester***If audience reaction is a gauge of a performer’s excellence, then the packed house in Don’t Tell Mama’s Brick Room certainly awarded Susie Clausen, aka Saxy Susie, a gold medal. Imagine that enthusiastic crowd given numeric cards, a la the Olympics; solid 10s all around would not be, for one second, disputed.
Clausen is a member of the tribe of instrumentalists who sing, a common feature for piano players, but rarer among musicians whose first instrument might be a bass or a trumpet—or a saxophone in Clausen’s case. That noble alto is what led mentor and teacher, Marilyn Maye, to dub her “Saxy Susie,” an appelation that suits so well, it’s stuck. And while she might not ever be compared to avant gardist Coleman Hawkins, Clausen’s melodic style is neatly of the Paul Desmond school. Fronting her quintet, her bandmates offered superb support: music director-pianist David Pearl, bassist John Miller, drummer Dan Gross and guitarist-vocalist Peter Calo.
As a vocalist, Clausen offers a sweet mezzo-soprano, and her songs were perfectly curated for her range. The delightful set was arranged and crafted with director Maye, whose experience, wisdom and keen eye encompass all things show biz. In the Maye way, the show was all about the music, so narrative was organic and minimal. Vocals and sa
x interwove in various ratios, depending on the number. Tempos were adjusted for maximum effect. And while Maye is famous for her clever medleys, that model was deployed in extended form, within a series of thematically connected tunes. “Friends in Low Places” (Dewayne Blackwell, Earl Lee), “Why Don’t You Do Right: (Kansas Joe McCoy, Herb Morand), “Stop in the Name of Love” (Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Eddie Holland) and “Alright, Okay, You Win” (Sid Wyche, Mayme Watts), for instance, together told a complete story.
Vocals with Calo offered satisfying listening in “God Bless the Child” (Billie Holiday, Arthur Herzog, Jr.) and fun with that grand old New Orleans staple “When the Saints Go Marching In” (James Black, Katherine Purvis). Calo took a solo on “Pennies from Heaven” (Arthur Johnston, Johnny Burke), part of a set of four tunes about rain. With an up, midtempo beat, Clausen applied her droll, witty and humorous side to “Are You Having Any Fun?” (Sammy Fain, Jack Yellen) and “I Don’t Care” (Webb Pierce, Cindy 
Walker).
Leaning into the Festive Season, there was a jolly “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne) and the ecumenically balanced Happy Hanukkah sung to the melody of “Happy Birthday” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” (Arthur Warrell). The outro, the joyous “Feliz Navidad” (Jose Feliciano), ended the show with Clausen exiting the room playing.
But among the 15 songs in the robust set, one in particular encapsulated the mood of the evening: a sing-along-with Susie, in which all joined in for “Sing a Song” ((Joe Raposo). The enthusiasm for this micro-party was off the scales; the Brick Room my never have seen such a raucous crowd before! But herein is the key to Saxy Susie (cue up Jimmy Van Heusen and Johnny Burke’s “Personality”): she’s a bundle of joy—bright, energetic and with a captivating stage presence. Add to that her humor, often self-effacing, dispensed with sincerity and charm. Who could resist such a good time and such positivity? Who would even want to?
