KT McCammond: Blue Attitude

Carla Gordon | January 26, 2015

KT McCammond

Blue Attitude

The Back Room, Chicago, IL, December 6, 2014

Reviewed by Carla Gordon for Cabaret Scenes

A walk down an uncertain and unlit staircase into a surprisingly cozy and attractive downtown listening room (which sadly closed at the end of 2014) came with a big payoff as KT McCammond offered up her sensuous, jazzy Blue Attitude. McCammond’s supple vocal instrument and interpretive savvy enable her and her listeners to travel seamlessly from a languid “Blue Bayou” to a thrummy “Heartbreak Hotel.” Her range allows for well supported self-proclaimed “broad” sass on “Blues in the Night” to a misty and reflective “Lush Life.” Rather than trying to copycat Aretha Franklin’s noteworthy vocal pyrotechnics, McCammond chose instead to plum the depth of the lyrics to Carole King/ Gerry Goffin/Jerry Wexler’s “(You Make Me Feel Like a) Natural Woman.” It made us all want to volunteer to claim her from “the lost and found.” Saluting the holiday season with “Blue Christmas” was a smart choice. Speaking of lush, Mark Burnell’s complex cascade riffs added richness to several of KT’s numbers and “Lush Life” in particular. “At Last” made for a smart encore as McCammond unfurled the layers of gratitude and discovery in the lyric paired with most excellent vocal power.