Marilyn Maye, returning to the Metropolitan Room for the second time in a year, will not only belt a tune to the far corners of any nightclub, she will belt it right out onto Broadway. An Evening With Marilyn Maye is a show not to be missed if you want your swing tunes authentic with confident jazz kick and your ballads rendered with mood and understanding. Maye sings the meaning of the song, the words, the phrases; she takes musical statements in new directions. She is the real thing.

In addition, this lady has a personality as warm and lusty as her vocal power. Now in her mid-70's, Maye has been around on the stages of show business, getting her glow on during the golden age of live appearances, smoky clubs and challenging media. She had her own radio show at age 14, and appeared frequently on The Johnny Carson Show and The Steve Allen Show. Saluting the versatile Steve Allen, Maye ignites the straight-ahead surge of "This Could Be the Start of Something Big."

The experience she gained, her own inherent taste, and her Kansas City hometown musical jazz tradition is reflected in Maye's handling of songs like the combo of Sondheim's "Old Friend" and the Peggy Lee classic, "I Love Being Here With You." "Lazy Afternoon" is a sultry standout. Intrigued with the rhythm of a jazz waltz, she delivers "Luck Be A Lady" in three-quarter time, and strangely, the potent theatre standard from Guys and Dolls subtly takes on an aura of impending threat.

In a tribute to the late Murray Grand, her confessional "Guess Who I Saw Today" is sad acceptance rather than bitterness, and she delivers authoritative scat and phrasing to "Time Out," "It's Today," and "Mountain Greenery." She adds strong R&B punch to her Ray Charles tribute.

With pianist Billy Stritch adding some harmony vocals, Tom Hubbard on bass, and Jim Eklof on drums, Marilyn Maye songs are top retail value at any price.

Marilyn Maye appears at the Metropolitan Room through April 1.

Elizabeth Ahlfors
Cabaret Scenes
March 23, 2007
www.cabaretscenes.org