BWW CD Review: Karen Mason Is Music Personified, Perfect, and Profound on LET THE MUSIC PLAY

From the opening notes of her new album LET THE MUSIC PLAY, Karen Mason already has you. But then, as the famous movie quote goes, Karen Mason will always have you at hello. That is because listening to the sound of Karen Mason's voice is like coming home. For many, there has never been a time in cabaret and concert when Karen Mason was not a leading voice in the industry and the community, and like a ballet dancer returning to the barre when they lose their way, the people who either create or consume cabaret always return to this voice, in order to find their legs.

Even though Ms. Mason has allowed her natural silver hair color to shine through (in dazzling cover photos by Gene Reed), giving a rather bold statement about her age and her embracing of that age, the Mason voice is unchanged by the passage of time. It would be nice to say it is stronger than ever before but that would be akin to saying Hercules added a plate to his bench press. Karen is sounding great on sixteen tracks inventively arranged by Christopher Denny and Barry Kleinbort, creating nearly one full hour of music, something that doesn't come along every day, with artists putting out albums averaging around the thirty-seven minute mark. On this Paul Rolnick produced album, generosity is the word of the day, as Mason does let the music play, by way of recordings like "He Touched Me" that feature the inclusion of string instruments that turn the track into a lush musical moment reminiscent of the crashing waves of the ocean, and the best recording of "Mister Monotony" this writer has ever heard... yes, including Judy Garland's.

Although Ms. Mason's artistry is always informed by the quality of the impeccable music created by her inimitable voice, let it not be forgotten that the lady is an actress of note, and that acting skill is as much a part of her interpretive prowess today as it was when she singing "This Nearly Was Mine" and "Old Devil Moon" on her NOT SO SIMPLY BROADWAY album. Observe the conservation of energy and sound on the musical monologue "Time", placing the emphasis on storytelling with phrasing that is practically a heartbeat away from simple spoken word, as an exchange between characters having a mellifluous conversation, straight from the heart, reaching one pinnacle when the dialogue segues into song, powerful and pure. It is masterful storytelling from a Mistress of Song, the sort present in every track on the CD.

Like any benevolent (and smart) singing artist, Mason makes good balance out of performing the songs everyone knows and loves, like mostly (and happily so) traditional renderings of "Don't Rain on My Parade" and "When You Wish Upon a Star" that are served up back-to-back, and compositions by loved ones like collaborators and composers Brian Lasser and producer Rolnick. Indeed, Mason divides the album into two acts, the first being made up mostly of Broadway music like a stunning West Side Story-infused version of "Stepping Out With My Baby" and a Stephen Schwartz-accompanied "For Good" that will make listeners forget it was ever a famous duet. The second act rests securley on a spectacularly curated set of six songs one might easily call "The Kleenex Set" for there is no possible way to play the series of recordings without falling, like Alice, down a hole, only this one is a hole in your soul, where you will find all the emotions that you have every day, but that you may not always be quite apt to allow to bubble to the surface.

The six songs (five and a familiar bonus track) that close out LET THE MUSIC PLAY feature wonderful heartfelt treatments of classic ballads by Bette Midler and The Beatles but the set begins with the highlight of the album, "Is There Anybody Out There" and you know, during the first sixty seconds, that this is the highlight of the CD. It's radio-made Mason, ready for the top forty, as well as inclusion in a movie, as the credits theme song. It will be covered by every singer and performed in piano and karaoke bars for years to come, based on this recording certain to capture everyone's attention. This simple, quiet, tender, emotional and unassuming recording is Karen Mason at her interpretive and musical best.

Immediately following the "Is There Anybody..." track is Mason's recording of Rolnick's "Jerusalem." Did you ever think that an acoustic Karen Mason would be something you dreamed of? Because here it is, ready to give you every snow-cap-mountained Karen Mason you never knew you needed. Sublime and sensational, every moment of the recording will fill you with hope for every corner of the world where hope is needed, from Jerusalem to your own backyard. Get a tissue. But keep the box nearby, for the one-two punch of "Is There Anybody..." and "Jerusalem" is compounded by a stripped-down "We Can Be Kind" that redefines and reappropriates a song that, though sung by many, has belonged solely to one woman for twenty-six years. Until now. It is extremely appropriate that this artist should be the one to find a new way to make us all cry with this modern day classic, and that she should do it with the song's composer, David Friedman, at the piano beside her. It is a musical moment filled with symmetry and solidarity, the sort of solidarity that exists in the cabaret and concert community because of artists like Karen Mason who show up every day, every year, every decade, setting an example for the kind of artist and the kind of person you can be, with the right support, and the right frame of mind.

It's all here, right on the album.

So do let the music play.

Karen Mason LET THE MUSIC PLAY is a 2021 release produced by Paul Rolnick on the Zevely Records Inc. label. It is available on streaming platforms like Spotify and apple Music, and hard copies can be purchased at the Karen Mason website HERE.

Karen Mason will be at the Rrazz Room in New Hope Pennsylvania to perform her legendary holiday concert CHRISTMAS! CHRISTMAS! CHRISTMAS! On December 11th. For tickets click HERE.

Karen Mason will perform three shows of CHRISTMAS! CHRISTMAS! CHRISTMAS! In New York City At the Laurie Beechman Theatre beginning December 17th - for tickets click HERE.

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