Dizzy’s Jazz Club – New York City
by James Rosen
In today's snowed-under world of vocalists, we ask ourselves, Who is doing something different? Who is looking at a songbook that is unlike the next vocalist, and who has the talent to back it up? On a Thursday night late set at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola in Manhattan, I came across Pamela Luss. To me, she is that vocalist. With a dazzling stage presence and the "tops in the biz" behind her, she filled one of the finest jazz clubs in New York City for an 11 p.m. set and did not disappoint those who stayed up with her.
The set opened with "Another Star," which demonstrated Luss' vocal range and skill. She has the ability to move in and out of changes with ease. This moved into "A Touch of the Blues," which kept you locked in till a stunning version of Ellington's "It Don't Mean a Thing" that shook the bandstand. Her band, led by pianist and musical director Jon Cowherd, is a unit she should stay with on her path to stardom. It was a treat to hear such a wonderful vocalist backed by Richie Goods on bass, Rodney Green on drums and Myron Waldron on sax. With Cowherd at the helm, this unit is as good as you can get.
The set pushed forward with a gorgeous Waldron original, "Your Eyes," and later on Luss delivered a beautiful version of "Send in the Clowns." Luss can make cry in your drink during her rendition. She has sensitivity to her approach that makes you think she is singing directly to you—a quality that is not easily possessed in today's music circus. She brought the night to a close with a nice Burt Bacharach break of "The Look of Love" and "Alfie." Luss kept the house full past midnight and was summoned back for an encore of "Summertime." We all had to get up early on Friday, but this one was well worth the loss of sleep.
On the critic side, we see so much that it often is not easy to get excited about new voices in the business. However, Pamela Luss is one of the newest voices who takes things in a different direction and has the chops to back it up. I left this gig thinking that I will probably say to myself within a year, "I remember seeing Pamela Luss when she was doing the late night sets at Dizzy's. Look at her now!"
