Carol O'Shaughnessy: Live at Scullers

O'Shaughnessy leans toward that school of singers who look to the likes of Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli and Bette Midler as their standard bearer. Like them, she has a pleasing sound and strong voice which allows her to belt out the tunes. Unfortunately, O'Shaughnessy lets the pitch and intonation get away from her from time to time. This happens when she tries to be overpowering, putting a strain on her voice as on "Everything's Coming up Roses" which she and the band had to start over a few times before they got it right. "I've Got You under My Skin", backed by the orchestra's strings, is done in a slower tempo than usual and is done very nicely. Similarly, "My Foolish Heart" gets a tender, romantic reading again with the strings in tow. The best up tempo track is a bouncy medley of "Broadway"/"Lullaby of Broadway".The CD's topper is a marvelous medley of tunes from Cabaret, including reciting some of the script from the movie. This track is worth the price of admission by itself.

The proceedings are enlivened with occasional patter between O'Shaughnessy and the audience. She also engages in a short comedy routine at the outset which isn't bad. Everyone had a lot of fun. Despite the occasional technical vocal gaffes, this album has a lot to offer and is recommended.

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