Singer Allyson proves rich in talent and unafraid to use it

There are a lot of good things about singer Karrin Allyson. Start with the warm, whispering-in-your-ear quality of her throaty sound. Add the relaxed sense of swing she brings to all her phrasing. And don’t forget her capacity to improvise everything from melodic paraphrase to riff-driven scatting.

Those qualities alone would make her a superlative jazz singer, but Allyson has another attribute that has consistently placed her in the top level of jazz vocal artists: utter musical fearlessness.

Unwilling to contain her imagination within the familiar framework of the Great American Songbook, she has consistently expanded her repertory, ranging freely -- and impressively -- from international songs and bossa novas to jazz classics and contemporary pop numbers.

In her latest album, “Footprints,” Allyson takes on one of her most challenging tasks: a collection of jazz instrumental tunes transformed into vocal numbers with lyrics by Chris Caswell, Jon Hendricks and others. At Catalina Bar & Grill on Thursday, she showcased live versions of selections from the CD, including such fascinating choices as John Coltrane’s “Lazy Bird,” Dizzy Gillespie’s “Con Alma,” Hank Mobley’s “The Turnaround,” Nat Adderley’s “Teaneck” and “Never Say Yes” and the title track by Wayne Shorter.

Although the lyrics were rarely as compelling as the melodies, Allyson’s readings were first rate, often enhanced by bursts of fiercely swinging scat segments. In many of these numbers, she played the role of upfront instrumentalist, tossing phrases back and forth with pianist Bill Cunliffe, bassist Don Kasper and drummer Todd Strait. She’s often been described as a “musician’s musician,” and for once the overused term actually makes sense.

It was also good to hear a sprinkling of pieces illustrating the length and breadth of Allyson’s omnivorous musical interests: a gorgeous rendering of Jimmy Webb’s “The Moon’s a Harsh Mistress,” a Portuguese version of Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “So Tinha” and an emotion-grabbing reading of Joni Mitchell’s sardonic “All I Want.” Call it a complete performance by a complete artist -- one of the jazz world’s finest.