Musicians: Janis Siegel (vocals); Joey DeFrancesco (Hammond B-3 organ); Peter Bernstein, Russell Malone (guitar); Houston Person (tenor saxophone); Buddy Williams (drums)

Review: As one of the founders of Manhattan Transfer, Janis Siegel has always contained too much curiosity and sense of adventure to keep those qualities bottled up within the confines of a single style. Even as she held down one-fourth of the duties for the well-known vocal, and sometimes vocalese, group, Siegel embarked on her own singing career as well, working in movies, recording solo albums or teaming up with musicians like Fred Hersch to approach music from yet another angle.

After her first Telarc CD, I Wish You Love, Siegel, to avoid repeating the concept of 1950's/1960's pop, came up with the idea of a vocalist/B-3/tenor sax combination evoking a smoky nightclub atmosphere. As always, Siegel is the consummate storyteller, a talent that she has proven over and over again in the past. The stories that Siegel tells this time, though, involve those that club habitues identify with, such as lost love, emotional dependency, bad luck and flirtatiousness. And the backup group is one that has had years of work in jazz clubs and working class nightclubs, where the urgency and drama of the lyrics, expressed with a doo-wap or 6/8 R&B beat, combine for direct appeal.

Joel Dorn, who produced Siegel's last Telarc CD, couldn't suppress his interests in that sound, memories of his days on Philadelphia jazz radio and his visits to Philadelphia nightclubs a constant in his career. Indeed, Dorn's liner notes have a familiar ring for anyone who has bought any of the 32 Jazz , Label M or Hyena CD's that reflect his tastes in music and the wackiness of his personality. He and Siegel knew exactly the sound they sought, and the employed the talents of like-minded musicians Houston Person, Joey DeFrancesco, Peter Bernstein, Russell Malone and Buddy Williams to realize it.

Thus, Friday Night Special assumes the direct and unpretentious feel of a late-night club where people go to be entertained in exchange for their hard-earned money. From the soulfulness of "My, How The Time Goes By" to the jump rhythm of "Misty," Siegel obviously is having a good time, especially when backed up by a band possessing the same sensibilities. Houston Person, in particular, is a master at this sound after decades of touring with Etta Jones. He knows when to inject a soulful commentary on Siegel's words or to repeat a phrase that she sings, his mirroring of her words a wordless reflection of Siegel's depth of feeling or expression of wit. Occasionally, Siegel backs herself up with an over-dubbed quartet called the Siegelettes (consisting of Sylvia Weinberg, Sylvia Weinstein, Sylvia Weintraub and Sylvia Weinglass). Joey DeFranceso's a master at this kind of music too, and his solo on "My, How The Time Goes By" starts out as a tribute to Jimmy Smith, the originator of the jazz B-3 sound.

As ever, Janis Siegel has recorded a CD that reaches out to audiences, this time with a sense of bluesiness. And Friday Night Special recalls a time when the intimacy of a blue-collar club served as the catalyst for some memorable music. Tracks: The Same Love That Made Me Laugh Made Me Cry, My How The Time Goes By, I Just Dropped By To Say Hello, My Love Is/My Babe, Let It Be Me, Ill Wind, You Don't Know Me, There's A Small Hotel, Make Me A Present Of You, Misty

A founding member of the vocal quaret Manhattan Transfer and now an established solo artist as well, Janis Siegel steps out as a leader on the Telarc label for a second time with a program that couldn't be more different from her last effort. Where I Wish You Love found her delivering jazz-inflected renditions of classic pop tunes, on Friday Night Special she leads an organ-and-tenor quartet through a set of more obscure material. Hammond organist Joey De Francesco provides powerful support throughout, but is tastefully (and a bit uncharacteristically) self-effacing in his playing; tenor saxophonist Houston Person, drummer Buddy Williams and alternating guitarists Peter Bernstein and Russell Malone round out the quartet. Siegel shines brightest on the slow ballads and the sultry torch numbers; her rendition of Eddy Arnold's "You Don't Know Me" is especially effective, as are her takes on "I Just Dropped By to Say Hello" and the Harold Arlen composition "Ill Wind".

She's a bit less convincing as a straight blues vocalist, and her tepid version of "My, How the Time Goes By" threatens to derail the proceedings early on. But by the end of the program, when she kicks into a delightful and surprisingly uptempo arrangement of "Misty", she has proved all over again why she's one of America's favorite jazz singers. Recommended.

***1/2

...this was a special session, an organ/tenor sax collaboration with Joey DeFrancesco and Houston Person. The numbers are soulful, swinging and sexy. It's the first time "Let It Be Me," done seductively slow, doesn't sound self-absorbed.

Featured Artist: Janis Siegel
CD Title: Friday Night Special
Year: 2003

Record Label: Telarc
Style: Jazz Vocals

Musicians: Janis Siegel, vocals. Joey De Francesco, Hammond B3. Houston Person, tenor saxophone. Peter Bernstein, guitar. Russell Malone, guitar, Buddy Williams, drums.

Review: Janis Siegel remains one of the finest jazz vocalists in contemporary jazz, and her recordings are always enjoyable and imaginative. With the release of FRIDAY NIGHT SPECIAL, she once again brings her bright, enduring vitality to share with the jazz listening audience.

There are 10 selections on this fine CD. Among them are "My, How The Time Goes By," "I Just Dropped By To Say Hello," "Let It Be Me," "Ill Wind," "You Don"t Know Me," and "There's A Small Hotel." Her rendition of "Misty" is a showstopper, perfect in every way.

Joey De Francesco performs on the Hammond B3 and as always is the master musician of that instrument. The musicians are topnotch.

Excellent and enjoyable. This is Janis Siegel at her best.

Tracks: The performance of "Misty" is a showcase piece for Janis Siegel and her group.

Janis Siegel captures one of the most popular jazz sound of the 60s on FRIDAY NIGHT SPECIAL. When soul jazz/groove-- led by Hammond B3organ masters-- ruled some of the best nightspots in the inner cities, people were moved by the emotional, funky style that infused bop with the influence of church and gospel music along with the blues. The spirits of Brother Jack McDuff, Charles Earland, Earl Fatha Hines, Jimmy McGriff, Richard "Groove" Holmes, Shirley Scott and living legend Jimmy Smith permeate FRIDAY NIGHT SPECIAL as soul jazz icon Houston Person and Hammond B3 organ master Joey DeFrancesco bring on the swinging funk alongside Siegel, Russell Malone, Peter Bernstein and Buddy Williams. 10 songs including "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh, Made Me Cry,""Let It Be Me" and "You Don't Know Me." Janis Siegel's voice is strong and convincing, singing the lyrics with conviction and feeling. It's a lot easier to teach someone how to sound good on stage than it is to teach someone to love the music and she definitely shows that she loves it. FRIDAY NIGHT SPECIAL can only fuel the fires of the swing movement and enhance the comeback of soul jazz. Order your copy today.

Janis Siegel is a member of the vocal group the Manhattan Transfer. This 10-song set is aptly-titled, as her singing is accompanied by a quartet anchored by a Hammond organ (played by Joey DeFrancesco) with material that glides easily between jazz and sophisticated pop. The songs draw from a couple generations of writers, from Rodgers & Hart, Cy Coleman and Harold Arlen, to Bill Withers. Siegel's mellifluous voice is nicely matched with the counterpoint solos of tenor saxophonist Houston Person, making for a classic combo-and-vocalist album that breathes with the very real interplay of all involved. Producer Joel Dorn created a believable sonic setting that is at once warm and unobtrusive, capturing the intimacy of a live setting with the clarity of a studio.

Ever since vocalist Janis Siegel co-founded The Manhattan Transfer over three decades ago, listeners, fellow musicians and critics have marveled at her inventive phrasing and richly expressive voice. Siegel has gone on to win nine Grammys and earn tremendous respect in both jazz and pop circles. On April 22, 2003, Telarc will release Friday Night Special, an album that combines Siegel's shimmering vocals with an unusual selection of songs and an outstanding organ/tenor band. Friday Night Special is her second solo project for Telarc and seventh solo outing overall. Produced by Joel Dorn, Friday Night Special runs the gamut from soul-jazz and bluesy grooves a la Jack McDuff to funky R&B and romantic ballads.

Opening with Bill Eaton's inventive arrangement of the Bill Withers' tune "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh, Made Me Cry," an expertly crafted example of vocal jazz, Siegel approaches lesser known, imaginatively arranged material in a subtle, yet powerful manner. She works her magic on Cy Coleman's "My, How The Time Goes By" and Johnny Hartman's hit "I Just Dropped By to Say Hello." The singer recasts Billy Myles' "My Love Is" and the moody pop nugget "Let It Be Me." Among the album's many appealing performances are singular interpretations of Harold Arlen's "Ill Wind," Eddie Arnold's "You Don't Know Me," and Rodgers and Hart's "There's a Small Hotel." Friday Night Special closes with Dinah Washington's "Make Me A Present of You" and the Erroll Garner classic "Misty."

Janis Siegel, "Friday Night Special" (Telarc): The most distinctive/distinguished vocalist of Manhattan Transfer shines on her latest album, abetted in no small order by an uncharacteristically restrained Joey DeFrancesco on organ and fat-toned Houston Person on tenor. A sassier, bluesier effort than her more pop-infused Telarc debut, with a fresh, up-tempo take on the moldering "Misty" as the CD's centerpiece.

In some interesting ways, the sales of jazz recordings today is indicative of the state of the form, its cultural value and its creative direction. Never an overpowering force commercially, jazz commands a scant 3 percent to 5 percent of total CD sales, with reissues outselling new releases. Miles Davis' Kind of Blue (Sony, 1959) consistently claims a spot in the top five best sellers for jazz, validating its continuing influence on both listeners and musicians. At the same time, both new and veteran artists ply a variety of genres, reflecting the absence of the kind of thematic, unifying force that has shaped jazz in the past.

By these accounts, jazz might seemed poised to take its condescendingly applied sobriquet seriously and truly become "America's classical music," something relegated more to revisitation than to renewal. Maybe. But in the meantime, there is plenty of new material to consider, some of it in familiar shapes, and other varieties loosely borrowing and splicing jazz elements into more commercial forms.

Telarc, the Cleveland-based label recognized for its digital pioneering, has been expanding its production of jazz for several years. Five new releases from Telarc reflect the broad diffusion of current jazz directions, as well as the continuing vitality of long-established traditions.

. . .

Janis Siegel's new CD Friday Night Special, her second for Telarc, also finds a singer plying a well-established tradition in mainstream jazz: in this case, the bluesy soulful sound of the organ-fired variety. For accompaniment, Siegel, a founding member of the vocal jazz quartet Manhattan Transfer, chose organist Joey DeFrancesco and saxophonist Houston Person, with Peter Bernstein and Russell Malone on guitars and drummer Buddy Williams.

The combination is a perfect fit: Friday Night Special sways and swaggers with a lusty noir, a suggestive hip-swinging grind that can make you sweat. There's plenty of torch here, with Siegel lamenting love from a distance, love lost, love promised and love unattainable, mostly through familiar standards. The themes are carried by DeFrancesco and Person, who make the music ooze a darkened soulfulness, and by the sultry dissonance of the background vocals from the Siegelettes--Sylvia Weinberg, Sylvia Weinstein, Sylvia Weintraub and Sylvia Weinglass, you figure it out--which effectively silhouette Siegel's sensual lead vocals.

Friday Night Special also includes a de facto salute to another great jazz singer, Peggy Lee, whose signature torch song "Fever" is paraphrased on "My Love Is/My Babe," including the finger-snapping. Hammond B-3 organ swing, the bouncy lounge jazz popularized in the 1950s and 1960s by Jimmy Smith, Groove Holmes and others, is included, too, with DeFrancesco getting off on the CD's final cut, an up-tempo version of the Errol Garner staple "Misty." In a field dominated by women, Siegel's Friday Night Special will make her name resonate among jazz singers.

This is a very cool piece of work. Producer Joel Dorn matched vocalist Janis Siegel with an organ/tenor group and made magic. Hammond B3 boss Joey DeFrancesco handles the keyboard chores, and Houston Person plays tenor sax. Guitarists Russell Malone and Peter Bernstein and drummer Buddy Williams round out the quintet. DeFrancesco and Person rule the groove, and Siegel's vocals are inspired. The optimal word here is swing: Friday Night Special swings effortlessly, relentlessly, and Siegel seems thoroughly in-the-pocket on every track. Make a point to listen to her luscious renderings of "My How the Time Goes By" and "Misty." She achieves maximum cool on "There's a Small Hotel" and "My Love Is/My Babe." Siegel slips into the cozy jazz vibe pioneered by cats like Jimmy Smith and gives it a bracing update.

The jazz vocal records just keep coming. Why? A look at the chart performances of albums by Diana Krall, Norah Jones, Jane Monheit and Steve Tyrell, among others, provides an answer: A successful vocal act can have a quick and salutary impact on a company's bottom line.

For the past year or so, and especially since Jones' breakout, there has been a sort of unspoken proviso in the talent quest that suggests that it would be really good if the words "female" and "young" could be attached to the r?sum?s of any potential signings.

Which tends to disregard the work of at least one gender and a lot of vigorous (if no longer in their teens or 20s) singers.

Here's a look at new releases from that underappreciated group.

. . . [edit] . . .

Janis Siegel

"Friday Night Special" (Telarc)

***

Siegel is best known to most listeners for her work with the veteran jazz/pop vocal ensemble Manhattan Transfer. But she has had a career of her own for years, producing a series of attractive, well-crafted albums. This time out, she has narrowed her view somewhat via a concept album built around the hard-driving, blues-based styles of the organ and tenor bands of the '50s, with organist Joey De Francesco and tenor saxophonist Houston Person as featured artists. The results are marvelous, especially in Siegel's caress-your-ear renderings of tunes such as "Let It Be Me," even though the overall concept wears a bit thin in spots. The most engaging track is one in which the organ and the rhythm take a break and Siegel dips into a sensual version of Eddy Arnold's classic "You Don't Know Me," accompanied only by Russell Malone's guitar, with flurries of tenor fills from Person.

Although sporting the name of Janis Siegel, one of the Manhattan Transfer's founding members, this salute to the B3 organ-tenor sax sound of the 1950s and 1960s might just as well be credited to her band. The funky, hot, and soulful sound of B3 ace Joey DeFrancesco and tenorman Houston Person. along with guitarists Russell Malone and Peter Bernstein and drummer Buddy Williams, is the foundation over which Siegel lays down her vocals.

Derided by some critics as a lowbrow sound, the tenor-organ combos promised a good time as they wrung every last bit of emotion from jazz, soul, and the blues. With today's rediscovery of the organ, as popularized by DeFrancesco, the high energy sounds are finding favor with those who once chose a more cerebral jazz.

When Siegel hits her first notes on the leadoff track, "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh Made Me Cry," the blues and soul crackle over a rolling comp by DeFrancesco and a musical conversation with Person's tenor sax.

Cooling down, Siegel takes it light and controlled as she strikes a sultry pose over an underlying guitar melody handled by Malone for "I Just Dropped By To Say Hello," and "Let It Be Me," a true pop piece recast with background harmony and softer accents by sax and organ.

[FM] Are there set "creative templates" you follow when working on arranging vocals for new material, be it within your solo projects or working within Manhattan Transfer? Please take us through some steps of your vocal arranging process...

[Janis] Yes there does seem to be a definite process. I do a lot of thinking about the piece before I commit pencil to paper, and, depending on what type of vocal piece it is (i.e., vocalize, big band vocals, R&B, doo-wopp) I sometimes do a bit of preliminary singing to a rough demo track. That way I can make up parts as I go along (a "head" arrangement) and harmonize things by ear. Obviously not all arrangements will merit this kind of treatment. On a straight vocalize or adaptation of an instrumental for voices, I will write out a schematic first- a general overview of where I want the voices to appear, what kind of voicing, i.e. 2-parts for a man & woman, 4pt. close harmony, 5pt. open voicings, etc.) rough dynamic markings, the emotional tenor of the piece, and who will sing lead and where.

Many times I am working with a track or a chart, but occasionally the voices are dictating the movement of the piece. One has more latitude that way with key changes and feel changes and such. After I block out the general flow of the piece, I get down to specifics. This is where the pencil (I prefer the Berol "Electronic Scorer" for its smooth action, sensual feel and its resilient eraser!) actually goes to paper and I start writing the parts. Often, I don't write in sequence, but prefer to go with flow of how I'm progressing.

[FM] Can you describe some of your vocal preparations before a live performance? Warm ups, tea, etc.

[Janis] I usually warm up the voice a half hour before a live performance. This includes loosening up the body as well-some light stretching, breathing. The correct frame of mind is necessary too-you're going out there to be a preacher of sorts, an entertainer, a conduit, a magician if necessary.

Laughing a lot before going on stage helps a lot too I find. I drink either plain hot water or herbal tea before a show.

[FM] Have you experimented with or use "in ear" monitors?

[Janis] I have used in ear monitors when I sing with Bobby McFerrin's Voicestra group. It is acapella, but still I find the most comfortable situation for me is one ear in, one ear off. I do that in the studio usually as well with the headphones. I want one ear to be hearing the air and the "real" sound that I'm making with other people. The in ears are great for focusing in on someone's bass part, for example. We have tried them in The Manhattan Transfer and collectively have not been happy with them, preferring to hear acoustically.

[FM] Are there specific live or recording microphones you gravitate towards using?

[Janis] For recording, I love the Neumann U-87 or the AKG C-12 for brighter, popper vocals. For live I really like the Sennheiser mic's.

[FM] Your latest solo CD release entitled FRIDAY NIGHT SPECIAL is now available. Please describe how you chose the material for this collection?

[Janis] Joel Dorn, my producer, and I wanted to try and stay away from the traditional organ/tenor repertoire. We looked for tunes that would benefit from the organ/tenor sound, the slightly more bluesy feeling, the late-night vibe. We did a couple of things as last minute ideas on the date and Houston Person was very involved and helpful in suggesting songs. The only real "traditional" organ/tenor thing we did was really "Misty" where we just completely copped that brother jack MCDuff feel and arrangement. The other tunes are by people like Bill Withers, Cy Coleman, and Harold Arlen.

[FM] You must have a great team of people that assist you in keeping your career in motion. Other than yourself, who do you rely on most to help in your creative or business decisions?

[Janis] I rely mostly on my manager Robin Tomchin to help me understand and sort out business dealings. She is also tremendous help in the creative arena. In the creative world, I often ask for the feedback of friends-I have a few trusted friends, artists themselves, are who are truthful and direct in their counsel. Joel Dorn, my producer for my last two solo projects has also been a great help to me.

[FM] The music industry has seen drastic changes since the internet craze. How has the internet affected your career?

[Janis] Well, it's easier to do a lot of interviews like this one. (smile)I certainly don't like this downloading music business. It's awful for the artist, esp. the artist that writes. ON the upside, it's broadened the playing field for artists that might not be able to get their stuff out there in the mainstream.

[FM] What advice can you share with our female musicians whose music may not be so "radio friendly" to attract major distribution?

[Janis] Don't give up, first of all. The public is fickle and tastes swing around wildly. What may be considered too far out by today's standards, may be the Norah Jones of tomorrow.

[FM] What are some of your favorite songs to perform with The Manhattan Transfer? Why?

[Janis] I love singing "Birdland" -my group has such a marvelous history with that song. It is always high energy and exciting to sing. I still love singing "Operator" after all these years. There's nothing like good ol' call and response and when the bandis kickin' it- the tune soars. The close harmony charts like "Embraceable You," "Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square" and "My Foolish heart" are very satisfying for this alto. And of course, it is beyond challenging to sing Clifford Brown's beautiful solo on "Joyspring"-I still struggle with it. (which I like)

[FM] If you can change one thing within today's music "business" industry, what would it be?

[Janis] I would love the focus not to be so much on the lowest common denominator. I think music executives underestimate much of the public's taste. It would be great to get real music lovers back into the business, as opposed to corporate lackeys, yes men (and women) and people so afraid they're going to lose their job that they never take a chance.

[FM] When not writing, recording or touring, what are some of your downtime hobbies?

[Janis] I am an obsessive cook and love to make elaborate and not-so -elaborate dinner parties-love to relax with good friends, good wine and great food. Voracious reader, amateur alto sax player, tennis has been, theatre goer, traveler for pleasure, and all around party girl.

Janis Siegel's long and fruitful association with the singing group Manhattan Transfer often accentuated her cutesier side. This session, headed by Joel Dorn, a former Atlantic Records producer and ex-Philly DJ, puts her in the embrace of an industrial-strength organ-jazz trio. That's a comfortable place to be on tunes fueled by two of the genre's most authentic practitioners, Philadelphia native Joey DeFrancesco on organ and tenor saxophonist Houston Person.

The setup enables Siegel to come off as a sultry diva surrounded by soulful sounds. Her voice is light for the bluesy side of the organ- jazz thing, which was huge in '60s Philadelphia. Yet she sings these torch songs with such conviction that it becomes good singing by any measure.

Person's big tenor carries on in a smoky-bar way, and DeFrancesco is surprisingly low-key, yet occasionally combustible. Russell Malone, who trades off with Peter Bernstein on guitar, fashions an elegant frame for Siegel on the country classic "You Don't Know Me."

Janis Siegel - Friday Night Special - (with Joey DeFrancesco, B3; Houston Person, tenor sax; Peter Bernstein & Russell Malone, guitars; Buddy Williams, drums) - Telarc Jazz CD-83566:

For her second Telarc CD (and seventh solo album) Siegel and her producer were trying to think of a hook when they saw a TV commercial of a guy singing Ah Sweet Mystery of Life to a jar of spaghetti sauce. They envisioned her doing that number with the backing of a B3/tenor sax trio - without the sauce of course. This disc was the result, but notice the mystery of Victor Herbert's classic song not making it into the ten tunes here! Siegel is no stranger to inventive musical ideas - she was a co-founder of The Manhattan Transfer and gone on to win nine Grammys. For the organist and saxist on this date she obtained two of the very best - DeFrancesco and Person. Their cooking backing makes this a very special vocal excursion and great fun all 'round. The wonderful arrangements are by composer Bill Eaton, and Siegel's voice is distinctive - having a slight country-singer twang to its timbre - at least to my ears. There's also a cool backup vocal group heard on some tracks - The Siegelettes. Usually I find it difficult to sit thru an entire CD at one time by one jazz vocalist, but when the tenth track on this disc ended I was still ready for more.

Tracks: The Same Love That Made Me Laugh Made Me Cry, My How the Time Goes By, I Just Dropped By to Say Hello, My Love Is/My Babe, Let It Be Me, Ill Wind, You Don't Know Me, There's a Small Hotel, Make Me a Present of You, Misty.

Singer Janis Siegel gets to bask in the best of both worlds. Over 30 years as a member of the Manhattan Transfer, she has helped to shape the future of vocal jazz. As a solo artist, she has an opportunity to follow her musical muses. This time around, with the able assistance of her old Atlantic Records producer pal Joel Dorn, she's recorded an homage to '50s and '60s organ jazz. Like the vinyl platters of the era, "Friday Night Special" was recorded in just two days. There's both an urgency and looseness here. Organist Joey DeFrancesco pilots everyone through the sessions but it's Siegel who takes the risks throughout. She scats, she swings and on "My Love/My Babe" even slips in an affectionate nod to Peggy Lee, who died before these sessions last year. On "My How the Time Goes By," she vocally "duets" with tenor saxophonist Houston Person. Even the closer manages to surprise. Segel and Co. tackle the Erroll Garner chestnut "Misty," and, four seconds into the ballad, Siegel shifts into overdrive, crea ting a 5:21 jam session. A worthy addition to anyone's Friday night.

Janis Siegel is the jazz singer as thoroughbred. She can sing and sound at ease at any gait, from a loping "My Love Is" to the languidly ambling "Let It Be Me" to a sporty, up-tempo "Misty." In this CD, the longtime Manhattan Transfer member is at her best when she lets her voice stretch out and show all she can do.

That happens beautifully in Cy Coleman and Carolyn Leigh's "My, How Time Goes By." William Eaton's arrangement conjures a smoky, backroom bar atmosphere, and Siegel fills it with an intentionally slack and slurring tone. Later on, in the midst of this bluesy lament, Siegel catches fever; her voice blares up to an urgent, trumpet tone, then droops back into a brooding funk. She covers a lot of musical ground.

"Friday Night Special" gets off to a full-bodied start, with Bill Withers' "The Same Love That Made Me Laugh, Made Me Cry." Siegel doesn't push the song's bittersweet edge. It slowly builds to a radiant question: "Why you wanna make me cry?" She moves on to the Coleman/Leigh winner and a nimble reading of Sid Feller and Richard Ward's "I Just Dropped By to Say Hello," with a swooningly choice account of Harold Arlen's "Ill Wind" and other treasures to come.

Aside from a throwaway bustle through Rodgers and Hart's "There's a Small Hotel," Siegel uses her wide range, tonal richness, rhythmic instincts and effortless register shifts to light up new corners of every song. In Joe Greene's "Make Me a Present of You," her voice hushed and softly aglow, she celebrates her lover's arms as a palace. Siegel knows just how to gild any musical room.