By Marilyn Lester***Love of performing and dedication to craft came through loud and clear in Susan Mack‘s No More Blues at Chelsea Table and Stage. The title song, one of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s most popular bossa nova tunes (and for good reason) was, of course, written in Braziian Portuguese. It’s title is thus, in that langua
ge “Chega de Saudade” (lyric by Vinícius de Moraes). The English version has lyrics by Jon Hendricks and Howard S. Richmond (as Jessie Cavanaugh). All of this to say that such was her determination with “No More Blues,” that she not only sang it in very good Portuguese, but learned the language to do it. So big props to Ms. Mack!
More props for a varied program with sophisticated and creative arrangements by first-call music director-pianist Tedd Firth. Opener, a swinging “Old Devil Moon” (Burton Lane, Yip Harburg) was followed bby a brilliant Firth arrangement of Duke Ellington’s “Love You Madly.” This tune was also the perfect number to solidify the band’s excellence: bassist David Finck’s opening bars in slow tempo, with nuanced drumming by Eric Halvorson set the tone in which tenor saxophonist Sam Dillon’s musical contributions were notably prodigious, as well as throughout the entire set. And showing extra creativity, Mack wrote some additional lyrics here, as well as to “Sunday in New York” (Peter Nero, Caroll Coates)— and then there was her own words and music composition, a Jobim-samba-influened “A Brighter Day.”
Mack includeed a quite a few hidden gems in this nicely varied and electric program, such as “Are You Having Any Fun?” (Sammy Fain, Jack Yellen) from the 1939 Broadway outing George White’s Scandals 
and “Joy Spring” (Clifford Brown, Jezra Kaye), which included excellent vocalese and scat by Mack. Comedic chops emerged with the contemporary (2017 number), “What Did You Do to Your Face?” (Susan Werner). The penultimate “There Will Never Be Another You” (Harry Warren, Gordon Mack) began as a slow story song and evolved into a swinger with a creative tempo change, nicely done. It was for the encore to sum up Mack and a well-chosen, well-presented set: a gloriously arranged (by Firth) Stevie Wonder tune “If It’s Magic,” sung to an arco bass—but then, all hands did a deliciously wondrous job in delivering this tune to our happy ears.
Lina Koutrakos nicely directed, with one note: unlike cabaret, Koutrakos’ usual territory, jazz programs are theme-less and (wisely) short on narrative. Macks’ seemed forced at times; it was an unnecessary discomfort among fine singing that carried the show.
Photos by Michael Stever
