JAZZ REVIEW : MORE THAN JUST ANOTHER REEDY VOICE

What tends to be forgotten about Bob Dorough, the singer and composer, is that he is a fine pianist whose boppish interpretations of the jazz repertoire could stand alone as valuable and artful entertainment.

Had he elected to only play the piano Thursday night at Vine St. Bar & Grill, where he opened a four-night stint, the crowd would doubtless have been angry at not hearing one of jazz music’s foremost singers. Which is odd, because Dorough’s vocal abilities are indeed limited--he has a thin, reedy voice of limited range and tinged with a harsh, whispering quality.

But put that voice, his piano style and his determined interpretive notions together for songs like “The End of a Love Affair” or “Roseland” or “Stairway to the Stars” and it’s pure jazz magic.

Much of Dorough’s musical charm stems not only from his uniqueness (others with his vocal talents could probably not pass an audition) but from his writing of urbanely hip songs that attest to his unfailing wit and musicality.

“The Devil May Care,” performed in a vigorous swing style that had bassist Bill Takas soloing splendidly, is but one example of Dorough’s packaging of jazz and wit. Others offered during his delightful opening set included “Up Jumped the Bird,” a wildly swinging piece in 5/4 time; “Figure 8,” a clever children’s song about the number 8, and “I Get the Neck of the Chicken,” a hysterical piece about bad luck that closed the set.

There is a kinship between Dorough and songwriters like Hoagy Carmichael, whose “Baltimore Oriole” he interpreted beautifully. One senses that a talent like Dorough’s can’t be nurtured in today’s marketplace anymore than Carmichael’s could. That’s a shame, for his talent is a rare treasure.