30 Years and 10 Pieces

Think Bobby Short, and the image that comes to mind is an evening in a sophisticated Manhattan bistro, listening to the veteran singer-pianist and his trio in a program rich with Cole Porter songs.

There are, indeed, plenty of Porter numbers on this new album, and Short enlivens the set--as he usually does--by including some rarely heard but entrancing introductions and verses to otherwise familiar songs. (His rendering, for example, of the relatively unfamiliar opening to Vernon Duke and Ira Gershwin’s “I Can’t Get Started” casts the number in an entirely new light, as does his similarly illuminating exposition of the verse to Johnny Green’s “Body and Soul.”)

This is not, however, simply the cameo-like setting of the Short trio. Wanting to do something special for the 30th anniversary of his legendary run at New York’s Cafe Carlyle, Short decided to expand his accompaniment to a 10-piece, jazz-based band, and see where the new instrumental settings would take him.

The results are delightful, an opportunity for Short to further dramatize his impressive storytelling qualities and reveal some of his not-always-apparent jazz skills. On one track, for example, aided by Loren Schoenberg’s stylish arrangement, he romps through an instrumental combination of the jazz classic “Moten Swing” and the standard “You’re Driving Me Crazy.” Disdaining a vocal, Short places his piano front and center, displaying a sturdy familiarity with stride style playing.

On other pieces, Short sounds as though he’s having the time of his life. He offers his usual generous serving of Porter--the familiar “Just One of Those Things” and “At Long Last Love” and the less-known “You’ve Got That Thing” and “How’s Your Romance” (with characteristically witty Porter wordplay in the verse)--as well as such unexpected items as the rediscovered “Picture Me Without You” (from Shirley Temple’s 1936 film “Dimples”).

At 71, he is at the top of his form as a singer in this stimulating setting, underscoring his role as one of the unique voices in popular music, and one of the most definitive interpreters of the American Songbook.

With unusually fortuitous timing, Short--with his 10-piece band--opens a six-night run at Catalina Bar & Grill on Tuesday. Expect it to be one of the prime musical events of the season.

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor) to four stars (excellent).