Susan Mack brings new show to Birdland Jazz Club
By: Kevin Alvey Nov. 18, 2022
On Monday November 14th, Susan Mack brought her new show “Yesterdays” to the Birdland Jazz Club stage in midtown Manhattan.
Having several previous sold out runs downstairs in the Birdland Theater, this special evening saw her playing in the upstairs venue to yet another packed house.
Ms. Mack brought her smooth jazz vocal stylings to a variety of music which included both American Songbook standards and more contemporary pop tunes.
Songs by Cole Porter, Leiber & Stoller, Kern, Mercer, Ellington, Corea, the Bergmans, the Beatles, and Stevie Wonder all fit the bill to prove Susan’s affinity with good lyrics and solid musicianship.
Directed by Lina Koutrakos, the singer was expertly supported by a trio of musicians that included Tedd Firth on piano, David Finck on Bass, and Eric Halvorson on drums.
For a few songs, and as a special surprise for this new show, Susan enlisted the energetic trumpet playing and masterful vocals of Benny Benack III, who came directly from taping his week long televised appearances sitting in with the Stephen Colbert show band. Hearing Ms. Mack & Mr. Benack in harmonious vocal duet was a charming addition to this line up (and a bit of unplanned hilarity brought a great deal of fun to the proceedings).
This show spanned the material of “yesterdays” from the 30’s to the 90’s – but as Susan Mack continues to grow and develop her keen musical sense…she is clearly looking to the future.
