Judy Barnett's JAZZ-A-TERIA

SUPERB is the word for JUDY BARNETT'S JAZZ-A-TERIA's performance in the show, and well it should be. This lady is not only a phenominally gifted Jazz singer, she has the best musicians and her choice of songs is brilliant. In the first set at Iridium, there were four top drawer songs for which she wrote the lyrics, with music by her outstanding pianist Ted Kooshian, who also did some of the arrangements along with Bud Burridge.

Judy's joy working with her musicians was so obvious that it was evident to the audience. The aggregation consisted of the aforementioned pianist Ted Kooshian, Ray Marchica (drums), Marco Panascia (bass), Marshal Rosenberg (percussion), Nate Ecklund (trumpet), Charles Pillow (alto sax/flute), Jeff Lederer (tenor sax) and Pete McGuiness (trombone), each of them being strong ensemble players who, in this presentation, also had a chance to shine as soloists. Pete McGuiness could be described as a truly sensitive trombone player, even though that expression might be deemed an oxymoron - well you had to be there. His accompaniment and solo work were as exsquisite as you're gonna hear.

The songs ranged from Judy and Ted's originals, jazz standards and the America popular song book. Five of the songs are on the judy Barnett CD Too Darn Hot, available on CDBaby.com. I heartily recommend it.

The comfortable Iridium is a room with a great sound system, excellent sight lines and a stage large enough for a fair-size band, and the food and the service are very good. Quite often on weeknights, the first set audience is invited to stay for the 10pm set with just a food/drink minimum. The house waiving the cover charge, is a very good buy for  a pleasant club with a high standard of music. Let's hope they book JUDY BARNETT'S JAZZ-A-TERIA back soon, and hope that she'll reprise a high point of this show, "Bali Hai" (Rodgers and Hammerstein - but you knew that), and I bet she can be persuaded to sing her own "Hymn to Her," which won't show up too shabbily along with R and H, or Cole Porter, or anyone else she opts to sing.

THIS JUST IN: Meanwhile Judy and Group are playing their last date of 2009 at the uptown jazz club SMOKE on Wednesday, December 23. May I suggest that night out as a good Christmas present for a fellow music lover?