Something Good? Paula West possesses a lot more than "something good." She possesses a sultry, pitch-perfect contralto, a respect for both lyrics and melody and where she can take them, clear diction, and an audacious sense of swing. She also has a unique lack of vibrato that she extends into endless long lines with impressive breath control. That is more than "something good"; it gives her a signature sound.

Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Something Good," therefore, serves as an understated title for a collection of songs for Paula West to sing in the Algonquin Oak Room, where she has been a familiar presence since 1996. Over the years, she has revealed an eagerness to choose from diverse genres in the standard songbook, theatre, gospel, the rock and pop worlds, always bringing in something unique, delivering a sly sexiness or an exuberant sense of fun through jazz interpretations and phrasing.

Bob Dylan has been a recent interest and her Dylan selection here is "Don't Think Twice, It's Alright," where West snips and stretches her phrasing, never losing a hold on what the song is saying. Her nod to Pearl Bailey comes with "The Goodbye Song" (Cooper, with updated lyrics by West and Mesterhazy), infusing it with wry humor but not the sassy asides associated with Pearlie Mae.

West delivers a meditative "Nature Boy" by Eden Ahbez, a song hinged to an old Jewish tune and adapted by a Brooklyn boy living a hippie life in California in the '40s. West linked it to her impressions of Turkey. From Turkey, West moved down yonder with Hank Williams' "Jambalaya." Over the years, West has surrounded herself with the finest jazz luminaries. Here she is supported by the late Shirley Horn's arranger/pianist, George Mesterhazy, leading a stellar rhythm quartet, including Barak Mori on bass, Tony Reedus on drums, and Ed Cherry's whose guitar adds intriguing facets throughout the show. Some songs feature two or four backup singers.

Self-contained, West sinks into her song selections. Dedicated to finding great songs and drawing something surprising from them, she explores the musical sphere, immersed there with the special qualities of romance in Brian Wilson's "God Only Knows," and the driving energy of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards' "You Can't Always Get What You Want," with the whole ensemble rockin' on.

Paula West brings Something Good to the Algonquin Oak Room from October 16 to November 10, 2007.

Elizabeth Ahlfors
Cabaret Scenes
October 16, 2007
www.cabaretscenes.org