POP MUSIC REVIEW : Passion, Power From Katey Sagal

Katey Sagal isn’t some TV star who suddenly decided on a singing career and used her fame to launch her career. The woman who plays the acid-tongued Peg Bundy on “Married . . . With Children” was a background singer first, having toured with the likes of Bette Midler and Bob Dylan before going into acting.

On Monday at the Troubadour, she played the first of a series of dates to promote her new album, “Well . . . ,” due out April 19. She proved to be a torchy pop singer, with power, decent range and a skill for wringing passion out of a love song. But she needs to downsize her eight-piece band--nobody could effectively sing an intimate song backed by that small mob.

By far her most touching tune was her finale, “Dignity,” which she performed with just two musicians. That song had an intimacy sorely missing from all the others. It also pointed out a need for variety and imagination in the arrangements. Scattering a few standards through the show--all unfamiliar originals--would have helped too.

The show’s low energy level was apparently a result of Sagal’s being five months pregnant. She noted several times that she’d be doing a wilder, more boisterous show if she were physically able.

There was the germ of an excellent cabaret show in Sagal’s hourlong set. With performances on the next two Mondays, she’ll have a chance to work out some of the bugs.