Review: Susan Mack Shines Bright in NO MORE BLUES at Birdland

Silken-voiced Susan Mack entered a packed house at Birdland on Monday night, June 10th, 2024, wearing a svelte black sequined dress and opened the show with a swingin’ “You & The Night & The Music” by Arthur Schwartz and Howard Dietz.

Mack knows how to work a crowd and had the audience captivated by her wonderful interpretations of songs like the pairing of Al Hoffman’s “I’m Gonna Live ‘Til I Die” and Sammy Fain and Jack Yellen’s “Are You Having Any Fun,” plus Jule Styne and Comden & Green’s “Never Never Land,” among others. She also proved a confident lyricist when she sang some of her own adapted lyrics in Duke Ellington’s “Love You Madly,” and Nero and Coates’ “Sunday in New York,” as well as her own song “A Brighter Day.”  

Directed by Lina Koutrakos and supported by her solid band led by Musical Director Tedd Firth, with David Finck on bass, Eric Halvorson on drums and Tim Armacost on tenor sax, Mack also tried her hand at singing in Portuguese (after some lessons on Zoom with a lady in Brazil) with “Chega de Saudade” which, in English, translates to the title of her show, “No More Blues.”

Mack certainly helped quell any lingering blues with some hilarious patter about going to a camp reunion, which landed perfectly as she began to sing, “What Did You Do To Your Face?” She had the audience in stitches, this reviewer included!

Tedd Firth’s arrangements were clever and seamless as always, and provided Mack with the space to play with scatting and indulge in some call and response with the musicians. She also invited the audience to join in some call and response in Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler’s “Get Happy” – a tribute to her mother who is soon to be 95, and the lady who made the song famous, Judy Garland, who would have turned 102 that very evening.

Overall, Mack delivered a wonderful night of music, which transported the audience away from the stresses of the day and melted the blues away.

For more shows at Birdland, head to their website at https://www.birdlandjazz.com/