Karrin Allyson

      I had an opportunity to attend the Karrin Allyson show this past Thursday night at The Fox Theater. Those in attendance got a special treat as the Hutchinson Community College Jazz Ensemble performed first to open the show. What a treat!

     The jazz group, Badinage from HCC, sang four songs which included an opening jazz classic by  Duke Ellington and ended with an Eddie Jefferson tune, Jeannine, a spirited tune with a 70's feel to it. I went online to listen to the original version of the song, and Badinage's version of the song, plus seeing it performed live with all that high energy, it just wasn't the same. Badinage did it better than the original performance. So much energy and soul on that stage. Just seeing this group in action was worth the price of admission. Badinage was polished and professional as they come.

     After a brief change out, Karrin Allyson, a native of Great Bend, Kansas who now resides in New York, took to the stage. She brought along her band who hails from such far off points as Topeka and Kansas City, Missouri. After introducing her band the group began to play and Allyson began singing some of the most polished vocals ever heard. Her rendition of the Billy Joel song: And So It Goes, nearly brought me to tears. It was beautifully done.

     Her voice has a rich timbre to it which has been honed by years of singing these powerful jazz standards, as well as a variety of other music. She sang a couple of songs from Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Oklahoma" that I found unique and lovely in a way that I never had before. I'll never think of them any other way after hearing Allyson's performance.

     Truly a feast for the ears, hearing Badinage followed by Karrin Allyson. Check out Allyson's website: http://www.karrin.com/. There's music to listen too on the site. If you missed this show, you missed a couple of amazing performances. The Historic Fox Theatre serves up terrific musical fare and if you haven't attended a show there, you need to check it out. Check out The Fox Theatre's website for upcoming shows: http://www.hutchinsonfox.com/.