Set Showcases Vocal Precision of Kate McGarry

Singer Kate McGarry is a work in progress. Still refining her artistic identity, she possesses all the essential elements that go into the making of a fine jazz artist.

Those elements were on full display Wednesday evening in a performance at the Jazz Lobby of the Westin Airport Hotel, despite a few typical opening-set hazards in which she was obliged to deal with on-the-fly audio adjustments and occasionally uncertain routines with the musicians. But McGarry--who lived in Los Angeles for most of the past decade before moving to New York City in 1999--handled the problems with solid craft and professionalism.

Blessed with accurate pitch and a crystal sound, she offered an attractive program of standards and Brazilian tunes, many from her new album, “Show Me.” McGarry’s vocal precision served her especially well on tunes with melodies roving across wide interval leaps. In those instances, there was an instrumental quality to her readings, a leaping, helter-skelter effortlessness resembling the sound of a free-roving alto saxophone. On slower numbers, the warmth of her sound came to the foreground, touching her phrases with a supple sensuousness.

In a number of cases, however, McGarry’s emphasis on the sheer musicality of her presentation tended to restrict her expressive range. Too often, words were sacrificed in favor of emphasizing a melodic phrase, with an attendant minimization of a song’s essential story. More focus on the full content of McGarry’s material, as well as considerably less of her not-always-gripping scat singing, would make her a far more effective singer.

Despite the still-evolving linkage with her players, McGarry clearly recognized the high quality of the accompaniment she received from pianist Karen Hammack, guitarist Larry Koonse, bassist Joel Hamilton and drummer Paul Kreibich. Koonse, in particular, was allotted a substantial amount of solo space, delivering a series of warm-toned, beautifully articulate improvisations. And Hammack’s crisp soloing and supportive backing were reminders of the strong skills of this under-recognized performer.