DAY NINE 12/13 (Reported by Kati Neiheisel): Lady Singer-Songwriter Nite: The atmosphere was electric at this show celebrating three of New York’s women singer-songwriters.
First, the phenomenal Laurie Krauz took the stage with dynamic pianist Daryl Kojak, her musical director for over 30 years, singing four songs they wrote together from 2004-2006. In “Duck Soup,” Krauz morphed into a horn and encouraged the audience to sing along—and they did! “Still You’re Here,” a beautiful ballad, was followed by the belated world premiere of the amusing “I’m Ready for Love.” There’s no one like Laurie Krauz. You never know where she’s going to take you, but you know it will be a fabulous ride. K
rauz and Kojak were followed by the wonderfully elegant composer-pianist Nancy Winston, a fixture for decades at most of the city’s tophotel music rooms, including the Cafè Pierre where she held the weekend chair for twenty years. Accompanying herself at the piano, Winston sang three songs she composed with brilliant lyricist Roger Schore, including the clever “Like a Puzzle,” recorded by both Winston and Daryl Sherman, and the lovely “You Can’t Trust Spring,” recorded by Carol Fredette. What a treat! I was particularly taken by “My Winter Rose,” based on Schore’s memories of Rosemary Clooney’s annual Winter residence at Rainbow and Stars, from 1989-1998. Next, force of nature Lina Koutrakos appeared 
onstage as shy 12-year-old Lina singing her original tune, “Big, Flashy Yellow Toyota.” Koutrakos said she stopped writing for many years after this valiant first effort, but it taught her to “write what you know” when she began again as an adult. Koutrakos, accompanied by stellar pianist Gregory Toroian, kicked off her set with the uplifting anthem, “Love Grows Here,” written with Dan Gross and Jean-Pierre Perreux. “Bury Me Deep,” written with Mark Hartman, was inspired by Koutrakos’s past life in the low country of Beaufort, South Carolina, and was a Gospel/Inspirational finalist in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. The sexy “I Made a Mess Outta Love” closed this powerful set of original Koutrakos songs.
DAY NINE 12/14 (Reported by Kati Neiheisel): JAZZ Nite: Jazz singer Marion Cowings admitted he would be home on this frosty night if not for the invitation to headline this exciting show highlighting jazz vocalists. Cowings, a master of scat and vocal technique, along with the fantastic trio of Stewart Walters (piano), Yoshi Waki (bass) and Kevin Congleton (drums), commenced with “Haven’t We Met” and “I Had the Craziest Dream.” The delightful vocalist 
Jeannette Miller followed with “Devil May Care” and “No More Blues,” songs featured in Everything Must Change, her new show about losing one home and gaining another. Enchanting vocalist and flutist Wendy Luck performed one of her personal favorites, “So Many Stars,” followed by a flute solo and vocalese lyrics she wrote for the Johnny Green, Edward Heyman song “Out of Nowhere” (1931). Luck noted the song’s harmonic progression was unusual for the time, but was also used in several other songs. Cowings, then, returned to the stage with a yen to sing a “sad song.” In finding the tempo for “Don’t Go to Strangers,” Cowings, a master teacher, advised “too fast, I’ll fall off the cliff; too slow, I’ll drag out of my groove.” Next, the talented multi-hyphenate Elizabeth Hayden-Passero, who performed her solo show Swingin’ the Blues Away in last year’s Winter Rhythms, sang “With a Song in My Heart.” Next, she sang “Cockeyed Optimist,” which she said defined her mother, who felt it was written just for her. Hayden-Passero then recounted, in 1983, she and husband Jeff opened the Music Room in the Horn of Plenty restaurant in the West Village. Forty years later, she said she’ll never forget the special vocalists they hired to perform there, including the next singer, Mary Foster Conklin.
A provocative singer and radio host, Conklin noted she began her career with a punk band, but in 1984, found singing in a cabaret room (in a peach silk dress) a game-changer because she could hear the lyrics! Conklin sang “Violets for Your Furs,” followed by “The Merriest,” from June Christy’s holiday album This Time of Year (1961). Conklin then introduced “the always hip,” the always wonderful Saundra Silliman, who opened with “I Just Found Out About Love,” followed by the sensual “I’d Like to Be Baby to You,” originally performed by Roberta Flack. A surprise was the appearance of vocalist Emi Takada, a student of Cowings visiting from Japan. Wanting to warm us on this cold Winter’s night, Takada succeeded with “It Might As Well Be Spring.” To close the show, Cowings returned to the stage to sing the emotional and expressive “Without a Song.” A beautiful end to a beautiful evening.
